The Hand You're Dealt
by heyjupiter
Summary: This is a sequel to my story Born at the Right Time. Gambit and Echo  an original character  are taken prisoner by the Friends of Humanity and rescued by the X-Men. They adapt to life at Xavier's and help Logan figure out his past. Gambit/OC. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

STORY SUMMARY: This is a sequel to my story Born at the Right Time, in which Gambit and Echo (an original character) are taken prisoner by the Friends of Humanity and rescued by the X-Men. A story of love, loyalty, and glee club.

STORY NOTES: Like I said, this is a sequel to my story Born at the Right Time (http:/www. fanfiction. net /s/6812069/1/Born_at_the_Right_Time ), which is set more or less concurrently with X1 and X2. It also draws on the events of Five Nights in Five Bars, a shorter story I wrote about Echo and Gambit. If for some reason you want to read this but none of the previous stories, well, I won't stop you, but you might find it confusing. I suppose all you'd really need to know is that Gambit and Echo are Brotherhood members, and Echo's abilities are empathy and the ability to magnify the powers of other mutants, and she had been held by Stryker.

It also draws on the events of X-Men Origins: Wolverine and the first two X-Men movies, but not The Last Stand. (Because eff The Last Stand.) I also pulled in pieces of Gambit's comics backstory, but not some of the weirder stuff. If you don't know comics, no worries.

Much like Born at the Right Time, this story is pretty shameless in its pursuit of hurt/comfort. Grad school is stressful, I just want to write thousands of words about cuddling with Remy LeBeau, okay?

Rated M for sexy times in later chapters (between consenting adults).

COPYRIGHT NOTES: Like, duh, the X-Men and the Brotherhood all belong to Marvel and Fox. And Stan Lee.

* * *

><p>Echo and Gambit are curled up in the couch in the apartment they're sharing in East Atlanta. They're watching <em>The Pelican Brief<em>, which makes Gambit homesick for New Orleans and riles up Echo's environmentalist streak. The movie ends and they remain on the couch watching the DVD menu loop for a few minutes before Echo untangles herself from Gambit enough to grab the remote off the coffee table.

"Times like this I really wish I were telekinetic," she grumbles.

"We'd be quite the team if you were," Gambit muses. "Not that we're not quite a team already," he adds quickly. She pulls herself up onto his lap and smiles.

"Nice save," she says, and kisses him. The kissing progresses and they almost don't hear the sounds in the hallway. Almost.

Skittish Echo notices first and pulls away. "Did you hear that?"

"Nothing to hear, _cher_," Gambit replies, tugging her gently back toward him.

"No, listen. I-I think someone's in the hallway."

"Other people live here too, you know." But he removes his collapsible staff from his pocket and snaps it open, just in case. Then someone kicks their door open. Gambit had perhaps been ready for a fight, but neither of them were prepared to be immediately hit with tranquilizer darts.

Echo wakes up in a dark, damp room. Someone is kicking her in the face.

"Looks like this pretty little mutie finally woke up," a harsh voice jeers.

She thinks of things she wants to say: _Who are you? _and _Where am I? _and _What do you want with me?_ and _Please stop_, but she's pretty sure none of those will get any kind of answer from this man. She tries to twist away from him and look around. She realizes that it's not that the room is dark, it's that she's blindfolded. She reaches out tentatively with her power to see if she can sense Remy, but she can't find anyone. More blows come and she hears a whimpering sound. It takes her another minute to realize it's coming from her. She tries to shield her face with her arms. She tries to think. She can't fight this. Not for the first time, she wishes she had a more useful mutant power.

"Where's your Brotherhood now, bitch?" someone asks. She thinks it's a different voice than before but she can't be sure. Her face is wet. Is she crying? She's crying and bleeding. _Where_ is _the Brotherhood?_ she wonders. Is that what this is? Some kind of play to get at Magneto? And where's Remy?

She takes a deep breath and corrals all of her strength. She focuses on trying to find a man she's only met once, but who she thinks might be willing and able to help her. If she can find him. She pushes out with her power farther than she ever has before. She feels lightheaded and knows she is about to faint, but she's not sure if it's from her power or from the beating she's receiving. She keeps searching as long as she possibly can and gasps when she finds him. She focuses as hard as she can on Charles Xavier and sends him a mental letter of terror. From him she feels gentle surprise and reassurance. Then her world goes black again.

* * *

><p>Xavier had been shocked to receive a telepathic cry for help. He'd quickly placed the mental signature as belonging to Echo, the woman who had been forced to help him operate Stryker's Cerebro. He'd been following her occasional appearances in the news. It seemed she had taken on a role as a spokeswoman for the Brotherhood, though he never heard or saw anything about her participating in any of the Brotherhood's acts of terrorism. From what little he knew about the woman, she didn't seem like the type for that kind of life-but he knew as well as anyone how persuasive Erik could be. And with a power like hers, he was sure that Erik was very interested in persuading her to stay.<p>

He'd pinpointed her location, but could no longer find her. He guesses she had lost consciousness, and hopes she hadn't died. He mentally searches the area near where he had last felt her and finds members of the Friends of Humanity. He sends a telepathic message around the mansion and assembles the X-Men.

He tells them the FOH have at least one young mutant in their custody and seem to be torturing her. He hesitates, then tells them that it's Noriko Oyama.

Scott scowls. "Shouldn't Magneto go save her, then?"

Xavier raises his eyebrows, though he's not surprised. Scott hasn't been himself since Jean died. Or perhaps this is Scott's self-he has always hated Magneto.

Logan, recently returned from another trip to find his past, surprises him by saying, "Let's go get her. She's better than Magneto. And... I owe her."

Scott snorts. "You owe her?"

"I killed her sister," Logan says, blunt and a little ashamed.

This quiets Scott. Hank speaks up and says, "If the FOH have her, time is of the essence. Let us be off."

"I agree," Ororo says.

They suit up and depart in the Blackbird. Xavier hopes he's not sending his team into a trap. But he hadn't detected an overwhelming number of FOH members, and he has confidence in the skills of his X-Men.

They touch down at the coordinates Xavier had supplied. It's a lonely house in rural Georgia, and they land right in the yard. Cyclops makes short work of their security system. In the basement they find Gambit, unconscious and chained to the wall. He's clearly worse for the wear, but based on Hank's quick once-over, he thinks the man will be fine. Wolverine shreds the chain and carries the unconscious man back to the Blackbird. He gasps in horror when Hank trails after him, carrying an almost unrecognizable, bloody mess.

"Jesus," he says.

"Oh my Goddess," says Storm.

"Is she...?" Cyclops asks.

"She's breathing," Beast says, grimly. "Let's get back to New York as quickly as possible."

As Cyclops and Storm pilot them back to Westchester as fast as the Blackbird is capable, Logan and Hank examine their charges.

"Noriko, can you hear me?" Hank asks, giving her a gentle shake. Logan watches with interest. He doubts she'll sit up and say hello, but there was always the chance that she was just sleeping. But she doesn't respond.

"Her head should be elevated," Hank notes. "Logan, would you mind helping me?"

"Sure," Logan says. He hesitates, looking at the mass of blood and bruises. Hank, his blue hands encased in extra-large latex gloves, motions for Logan to come closer. He hands Logan his own pair of gloves. "Hold her head still, like this," he demonstrates to Logan. "Be firm, but don't squeeze." Logan carefully follows instruction. Her hair is sticky. Hank carefully dabs at her injuries with alcohol wipes. He goes through several before her face looks clean, which only makes the bruises and swelling more apparent. Hank clucks his tongue.

He gets a cushion and neck brace from his field medical kit and quickly stabilizes her head. Logan watches as Hank bends over her face. He shines a light in her eyes and frowns. He listens to her breathing. He pokes a small plastic tube into her mouth.

"Is she okay?" Logan asks.

Hank sighs. "The severity of her wounds would indicate some kind of brain trauma is present. Her pupils were both dilated, another sign. I'll need to do a CT scan as soon as possible. It's likely she has other broken bones as well, though the head injuries are certainly the most dire. We won't be able to diagnose those until she regains consciousness-if she regains consciousness, which I think is likely, though not definite. So, to answer your question, I suppose, no, she isn't okay."

Hank covers her with a blanket and turns to Gambit, who doesn't wake up with a shake either. Hank cleans Gambit's face and reveals a black eye, but nothing so dramatic as Noriko's face.

"Oh, my stars and garters," Hank says.

"What?"

"Look at this," he says, indicating Gambit's hand. It looks wrong somehow, but Logan isn't exactly sure why.

"They've broken every one of his fingers."

"Jesus," Logan says. After a thoughtful pause, he adds, "Is he, uh, okay?"

Hank shrugs. "Again, I can't say definitively until he regains consciousness, but he doesn't appear to have sustained any life-threatening injuries."

When they return to Westchester, Logan helps Hank get a backboard out of the medbay and they take Nori down into the basement. Logan and Scott go back for Gambit while Hank cares for Nori. By the time they come back with Gambit, she's bandaged, in a hospital gown, and hooked into an IV drip of something.

"Ah, Logan. Could you wash your hands and help me with this?" Hank asks. Scott stands awkwardly by and watches as Logan holds Nori's head while Hank smoothly sticks a plastic tube down her throat. It looks unpleasant to Logan, though he supposes it beats dying.

Logan helps Hank X-ray Gambit's fingers and watches as he applies braces to each. He's not sure when he became the defacto nurse around here, but he guesses it was right around the time Jean Grey died. And anyway, he's not squeamish.

Hank begins taking notes on his new patients, now that they're what he calls stable.

Logan sits down in the chair between Nori and Remy and waits. Hank gives him a magazine and a communicator and asks him to call when either of them wakes up.

He sits for hours and neither of them stirs. He's read _Newsweek_ cover to cover. Hank comes down with a plate of dinner and another magazine.

"You can go upstairs if you'd like," Hank tells him.

Logan shakes his head. "I'd like to be there when... when they wake up. They did right by me a few months ago. I'd like to do right by them."

Hank nods and hands him the plate. "I thought you might say that."

Logan didn't think he'd be hungry after staring at Noriko's ruined face for so long, but his heightened metabolism ensures that he is. He eats and tells Hank what he knows about Echo and Gambit. He hadn't told anyone besides Xavier about his trip to Louisiana, or his subsequent trip to Three Mile Island.

Hank lifts his eyebrows. "Stars and garters," he says mildly, "that's quite a story."

Logan shrugs.

"I've seen Noriko on the news," Hank says. "I must confess I was confused as to how she got caught up with Magneto's nonsense."

"She told me she owed Magneto her life, and that she thought she could be a good influence on him," Logan remembers.

"Hmm," Hank says noncomittally. He checks on all the machines hooked up to Noriko and makes a few adjustments. "Well, Logan, I thank you for your assistance. Please call me if you need assistance, or if Remy—or Nori—wake up."

"Later, fuzzball," Logan says.

He dozes lightly in the chair. He wakes up suddenly when he hears movement. He turns his head and sees LeBeau groaning and examining his bandaged hands. He adjusts the light in the room from low to medium.

"Hey, pal. How you feeling?" Logan asks.

"Where'mI?" Remy slurs, his Cajun accent stronger than Logan remembers.

"You're okay. We're in Xavier's basement. Let me call the doctor down."

Remy looks panicked, but Logan quickly calls Hank, who arrives in the medbay looking like a giant blue prepster in khakhis and an Xavier's polo shirt. Hank introduces himself, checks Remy over and announces, "Well, Mr. LeBeau, I tested your blood earlier and found a substantial amount of tranquilizer. It's working through your system somewhat faster than I might have imagined, but you're still somewhat under its effect. I believe in a few hours you should be more or less back to normal."

Remy waves his hands. "Wha'boutthese?"

"Ah, yes. I'm afraid all your fingers have been broken. They are clean breaks and should heal without surgery, but you will have to wear those braces for four to six weeks to ensure proper healing."

Remy looks at his fingers for a few long moments. "Nori?" he asks.

Hank hesitates. "Miss Oyama is here too."

Remy glances around and notices the other bed nearby. He tries to stand up but wobbles and has to sit back down. In doing so, he puts pressure on his hands and winces.

Logan gently pats Remy's shoulder. "I'll help you see her when your mind's a little bit clearer, okay, buddy?"

Remy seems to register Logan for the first time.

"Logan?"

"Yeah."

Remy looks at him hard. "Not with Stryker?"

"Stryker's dead, remember?"

Remy nods, slowly. Hank hands him a bottle of water. "Try to drink this, Mr. LeBeau. You're dehydrated."

The three of them sit together in the medbay for a little over an hour, when Remy's attempts at communcation begin to return to normal.

"_Si vous plait_, may I see Nori now? Look, I am fine."

Logan looks to Hank, who nods. Logan walks over and offers Remy a hand, then frowns. The Cajun probably shouldn't hold onto him with broken hands.

"Remy, try to stand up, and then Logan, put your shouder under his shoulder," Hank calls. It isn't really necessary—Remy seems capable of supporting himself, but Logan suspects he might be needed once Remy sees Nori. Before they reach her bed, Logan says, "Buddy, I gotta warn you. She looks rough."

Hank agrees. "There are a lot of facial contusions and swellings. It looks very dramatic."

They stop in front of Nori's bed. Her head is elevated at a 30 degree angle, meaning they see her face first.

Remy slowly sinks to his knees. "_Mon dieu_," he says. His hands hover over her, looking for a place to touch that isn't bandaged or bruised or holding an IV needle. "Is she...?"

Hank sighs. "She's currently stable. She's suffered a lot of head trauma and appears to have a traumatic brain injury, which we won't be able to diagnose until she regains consciousness. I'm also going to perform a CT scan on her to try to determine which areas of her brain may be damaged."

Remy lightly places one of his broken hands on a small spot of her left wrist that doesn't have anything attached to it. "Nori, _ma mie_, _Je t'aime_, wake up please. Do not leave me to be lonesome." His voice is quiet and raw. Logan feels like he's intruding on a private moment and takes a step back.

Remy draws a breath with difficulty. "How long until she wakes up?"

"Brain traumas are unpredictable. I would estimate a week, but it could be less. Or it could be longer. Or the possibility exists that she won't wake up at all." Remy turns then and gives Hank a desperate look. "Mr. LeBeau, I assure you that I'm doing the best I can for her. The human brain is extremely complex and modern medicine simply has not yet mastered its treatment."

Remy nods. "Of course. I... thank you, Dr. McCoy. Can I do anything for her now?"

"Well, Mr. LeBeau, you've suffered some trauma yourself, so make sure you take care of yourself. Keep drinking water. Are you hungry?" Remy shrugs. "We'll get you something to eat. As for Miss Oyama... well, we don't really know how responsive coma patients are. You could talk to her or read to her."

"She's in a coma? I, I thought she was just unconscious."

"Well, she has been unconscious for over six hours and does not respond to stimuli, so technically, she's comatose. But people come out of comas all the time, Mr. LeBeau. It's probably for the best that she's not conscious. It will give her body a chance to heal and let her sleep through the worst of the pain. Also, it will give her intracranial pressure time to decrease on its own."

Remy says, sadly, "I told her I would protect her."

"I'm sure you did the best you could," Hank says.

"Why would they do this to her? She never hurt nobody," Remy says. "If they wanted to beat on someone, it should have been me."

"Guys like them FOH types like to hurt people smaller than themselves," Logan says. "They get off on it." He instantly regrets his choice of words. But Remy nods and sighs. "Animals," he says.

He rubs his hand gently on Nori's wrist. Logan brings Remy a cup of coffee and a bowl of Cheerios, then goes to grab a quick nap in his own bed.


	2. Chapter 2

Remy watches Nori's chest rise and fall. He reads _Newsweek_ aloud to her. He pleads with her to wake up, just for a minute. He considers their situation. He's grateful that the X-Men seem to be inclined to help them. Well, they are mutants after all. And Remy has never been one to antagonize them the way Magneto or Mystique has. And they'd never even met Nori. Except Logan, who had seemed fond of her during his brief visit to the two of them.

Later that morning Hank comes to check on them. He does something with the various IV bags hanging over Nori's bed.

"Mr. LeBeau, do you think you could assist me in completing a medical history of Miss Oyama?"

"I can try. And please, call me Remy."

Hank nods and asks Remy a long list of questions, most of which Remy can't answer. But he tells him what he knows about her history of depression, and the way medications interfere with her power.

"Fascinating," Hank says. "Now, Remy, do you remember what happened to cause these injuries?"

Remy looks down at his lap. "I've been thinking on it... last I remember, we were in our apartment watching a movie. Then... well, Nori heard something in the hallway, and... and I told her it was nothing. And then somebody knocked our door in, and, well, it's the last thing I remember. I should have listened to her," he says regretfully.

Hank puts a hand on Remy's shoulder."You mustn't blame yourself. Both of you have small puncture marks correspondent to a tranquilizer dart. Remy, do you feel up to talking to the rest of the X-Men about the FOH?"

"Sure," Remy says.

"Thank you. Would you please follow me upstairs to the conference room?"

Remy freezes. "What... what if she wakes up? Alone?"

Hank gives Remy a sad look. "Remy... I'm sorry, but she isn't going to wake up today."

"You said it might be less than a week," Remy says pleadingly.

Hank nods. "Indeed I did. Very well... I'll go invite them to meet down here."

"Thank you," Remy whispers.

A few minutes later the X-Men, dressed in preppy street clothes, file down into the medbay. They pull in extra chairs from the adjoining lab. Remy nods to all of them in greeting, keeping his hand flat on Nori's wrist. He wonders what Hank told them to get them down here. Probably that he was crazy with grief. Was it still grief, he wonders, if she wasn't dead?

"Mr. LeBeau, I am glad to see that you are doing better," Xavier says.

"The credit for that goes to Dr. McCoy here. And please, call me Remy." He's not sure why all the X-Men are being so formal with him. It makes him uncomfortable. He's already uncomfortable about being so dependent on his erstwhile enemies, but he needs to keep Nori safe. He'd accept charity from the devil himself for her.

Xavier nods. "Do you mind answering a few questions for us?"

"'Course not," Remy says.

"Do you mind telling us what you were doing in Atlanta?" Xavier asks.

"Magneto sent us there to gather information about the FOH. But we weren't having a lot of luck."

"Did you find anything useful?"

"We had a list going of mutants who had disappeared. It wasn't getting reported in the papers. But we weren't exactly sure if they'd all been taken by the FOH or if some of 'em had just run away. We had tons of rumors about the FOH—that Senator Gill from Georgia had secretly founded it, that Graydon Creed is secretly a mutant and it's somehow all to help mutants, that Coca Cola sponsored FOH... we couldn't definitively deny any of those."

"Do you remember how you came to be in the FOH safe house?"

"I don't remember ever being in the FOH safe house."

"That's where the X-Men found you and Miss Oyama, at a house the FOH had been using in rural Georgia."

"Oh. _Mon dieu_, they found us. The last thing I remember is we were in our apartment and somebody kicked the door in."

Xavier nods. "May I ask you about how Miss Oyama's mutant gift works?"

"She can magnify other mutants' powers, when they're using them. And she's also, ah, what do you call it? A projective empath. But only when she's focusing on a mutant. It's tied together, like. She sends them extra mutant power along with whatever she's feeling."

"Interesting. And do you know what the limits to her power are?"

"Ah... not exactly. It makes her real tired to use it too much. When she first started training with it she usually ended up passing out for a few hours each time she used it. Now she's better, though."

"What about physical distance? How far can she be from someone and have them still be in range?"

"It works best if she's touching the person, but we used to practice sometimes with her upstairs and me downstairs. She was getting better at it that way."

"Hmm," Xavier says.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, that's how we were able to locate the two of you. Miss Oyama reached out to me with her empathy."

"What?" Remy looks down at Nori as if expecting an answer. Obviously, none is forthcoming, and he sighs and looks back at Xavier.

"It was quite remarkable. I felt her panic very directly and my telepathy was considerably magnified. But now I don't feel anything from her."

"Ah... it only works when she's awake. And when you're using your power. And, ah, usually people who don't know her don't even notice it unless they're very powerful mutants or if she's feeling a very strong emotion. I mean, not that you aren't a very powerful mutant, just..."

Xavier nods. "Well, Miss Oyama and I have met once before, although we were both under Stryker's control at the time." 

"_Oui_, of course. I am glad she thought of you. And glad that you listened. I... I cannot thank you enough."

"We always try to help mutants in need," Xavier says solemnly.

Hank clears his throat. "Remy, we need to discuss treatment for Miss Oyama. As I mentioned earlier, her condition is rather severe. She will likely require months of care. I... I am not sure what kind of reception she would receive at a public hospital, but I doubt they would provide high quality care to a dangerous mutant like her." His voice is sarcastic. "On the other hand, I am not a brain trauma specialist, although I would certainly do my best to treat her. Is there anyone with the Brotherhood capable of providing medical care? Would you feel comfortable allowing me to treat her, or would you prefer that she be released to a hospital?"

Remy reels. "Well... no, we don't have a doctor. Actually Nori was usually the one who patched us up if we got hurt. You... you've all been very generous and I appreciate it. But... you have children here. If Nori and I are here, isn't... isn't it a liability for you? For them?"

Scott speaks up for the first time. "Are you saying you can't be trusted around children?"

"_Non_!" Remy says, horrified. "I would not hurt a child. I mean that Nori and I are both wanted by the law. If we are found here... you have already been so kind. I do not want to endanger your school."

Xavier says, with a slight smile, "We can certainly take care of anyone who would come looking for you."

"_Merci_," Remy says. "Thank you. I..." he gestures helplessly, his bandaged fingers splayed. "Thank you."

"You're both welcome," Xavier says, gently. "I will ask that you confine yourself to the lower levels of the house for the time being."

"Of course," Remy says.

"I didn't think you would have a problem with that," Xavier replies. "Hank will be around to check on Miss Oyama, and we will send meals down to you. There is a shower available down the hall. Hank can show you. Do you require anything else?"

Remy glances at Nori. "Do you think... perhaps, could I have a book or something to read to her? Or maybe some music? In case she can hear?"

"Yes, I'm sure we can arrange that," Xavier says kindly. "We can also find a change of clothes for you."

"_Merci_."

"I will keep Miss Oyama in my prayers," Xavier says. "We all wish her a speedy recovery."

Remy nods. The other X-Men offer him small smiles and then, on some unseen signal, they all leave. Hank and Xavier remain.

"Remy, would you permit me to search your memories to see if I can find anything useful about the attack from the FOH?"

Remy hesitates. "Of course, I would do my best to respect your mental privacy," Xavier adds.

"_Oui_, go ahead," Remy says. How can he refuse a request like that to the people to whom he owes his own life, and perhaps Nori's life? He makes sure to scatter the static energy that tends to surround his brain.

Xavier wheels over to him and places his hands on Remy's face. It's oddly intimate. Remy closes his eyes and feels Xavier in his mind. It's a light, ghostly touch. He can't tell what Xavier is looking at. He guesses Xavier heard that thought because he says aloud, "I'm afraid I don't see much here. I believe they kept you unconscious the entire time you were there." Xavier removes his hands and backs away from Remy slightly.

"What about her?" he asks, nodding at Nori. "Would there be anything useful in her memories? I'm sure she'd let you look."

Xavier shakes his head. "Right now her mind is in a rather perilous condition. I'd prefer not to risk her any further harm. I'll wait until she wakes up."

"Okay," Remy says softly. "Thank you."

"Thank you, Remy," Xavier replies.

Later Logan comes downstairs with a change of clothes, a towel, a Kindle, an iPod, a set of speakers, and a deck of cards.

"_Merci, mon ami_," Remy says gratefully.

Logan shrugs. "I gotta feeling I still owe you for some stuff I don't remember."

Remy smiles. "I think that debt is repaid, personally."

"Go take a shower, Cajun. I'll stay with your girl."

"Thank you."

Remy takes a long shower—it's hard to lather himself with immobile fingers-and finds himself sobbing. He hadn't cried in a long time, but he supposes he's overdue. How could he have failed so completely? He's a good fighter. How did he let this happen? He'd promised Nori he would protect her. He emerges feeling clean and light-headed, and dresses himself with some difficulty in pajama pants, a T-shirt, and an Xavier's sweatshirt. It's not an outfit he would have chosen for himself, but he is grateful he didn't have to figure out how to do buttons with his stiff fingers.

He returns to the medbay to find Logan playing Bruce Springsteen for Nori. He smiles.

Logan nods in greeting. "Your girl's got good taste in music, if I remember correctly."

"She does," Remy agrees.

"You want to play cards?"

Remy looks at his hands. "Guess it's worth a try," he says.

Logan grins. "I've seen you with cards. I'm guessing you'll figure out a way to make it work, 10 broken fingers or not."

It turns out Logan's right. Remy wouldn't win any style points for his awkward grasp, but he's doing okay.

"You must be distracted," Logan says. "I know I'd never win otherwise."

"Don't know what I could possibly have on my mind," Remy says.

Logan gives a little grin. "The fuzzball's a good doctor," he says. He adds, "Speak of the devil," as Hank pads into the medbay with Remy's dinner.

"You wanna join us?" Remy asks. "I can deal you in."

Hank hesitates. "Well, why not?"

He pulls over a chair and proves himself to be a decent poker player. Not as good as Remy on a normal day, but good enough to keep up with a pain-and-grief-stricken Remy.

"How did Miss Oyama come to join the Brotherhood?" Hank asks. "Forgive me for saying so, but she doesn't seem like the type."

Remy grins crookedly. "She's not. She..." he sighs. "Mystique found her in Stryker's database and she and Magneto thought she'd be useful, so we went and got her before Stryker could. She came with us voluntarily after we told her about what Stryker was doing to her sister."

"Yuriko," Hank says.

"Yes. And... well, she trained with us. Magneto... convinced her to help him power his machine at Liberty Island, but she wasn't thrilled about it. But she was different after she got out of Stryker's prison. Not... she's not violent, but more militant. I would still say that she refused to do about half the things Magneto wanted her to do."

"How did that go over?"

Remy sighs. "Not great. He'd usually lock her in her room for a few days, maybe a week. But it always made Pyro furious, and 'course I wasn't thrilled either. Magneto hated it too, since he has that empathic link with her."

"Empathic link?" Hank asks.

"Yes. Ah... I mean, she would have it with any mutant who constantly used their power the way Magneto does, but he was the only one of the Brotherhood. So since he constantly used his sense of metal, he also constantly got her empathic projections. I mean, as long as they were in the same area."

"So he can't sense her now?"

"No... too far. And she's asleep. Ah, unconscious."

Hank nods. "Of course."

"But, anyway, I'm sure she never would have joined the Brotherhood if it hadn't been for William Stryker." He says the name like it's a poison.

"What about you?" Hank asks. "Why did you join the Brotherhood?" He's curious, not hostile.

Remy sighs. "I... I ran into Stryker too," he says. "Two years, I spent with that son of a bitch. After that I was just kind of lying low, playing some poker, picking some pockets. Until Logan found me and we went back to Stryker's base. His old one. After that... well, I got into some trouble, and Magneto found me. Told me he wanted to bring down men like Stryker. So... I went with him. He... I don't always agree with him, but he... he means well." He shrugs and passes the deck of cards to Logan, who shuffles them and passes them back. Remy's figured out how to deal with broken fingers, but shuffling is beyond him.

"How are your hands feeling," Hank asks. "Do you want some pain medication?"

"I might could use some," Remy says. Hank gets up and returns with a few Tylenol-3s, which Remy gratefully takes.

They play cards together for an hour or so, and Remy's happy for the company. But he's also grateful when they men leave and he can be alone with Nori. He examines the iPod and changes the music. He glances at the Kindle but is afraid to use it. He usually counted on Nori to figure out new gadgets. Instead, he plays stiff-fingered solitaire and listens to Andrew Bird, a musician he knows Nori to be enamored of. The music has a lot of strings and whistling and though it's not his usual cup of tea, at the moment Remy finds it somewhat soothing. He hopes she can hear it.

Sleep is out of the question. He's too jumpy and anxious, so he plays cards throughout the night. In the morning, Hank comes down with some breakfast. Remy sips coffee but barely tastes it.

"Did you notice any changes in the night?" Hank asks. "Any movements or sounds?"

"Nothing," he whispers.

"That's to be expected," Hank says. "She needs more time." He rests a large blue hand reassuringly on Remy's shoulder.

"Thank you," Remy says.

Hank removes the bandages from her face and replaces some of them. "Physically, she's healing normally. It's a good sign." He takes a few more notes and adjusts a few of the machines. Remy considers asking what he's doing but he doesn't think he wants to know. He likes Hank and thinks he can trust him. And if he can't, well—he doesn't have a lot of options.

As Hank leaves, he turns back and says, "Remy, make sure you eat some of that food, too. Not just the coffee."

"Yes, doctor," Remy says. He eats, but doesn't taste anything.


	3. Chapter 3

Cyclops comes down around lunchtime with a plate for Remy. He starts when he hears the music Remy's listening to. "Where did you get that?" he demands. "That's mine."

Remy holds his hands up, palm out. "Easy, _mon ami_, my apologies. Logan brought it down for us last night. I didn't know it was yours, or that it was taken without permission."

Cyclops sets the tray down and lets out a sigh. "Of course. Logan." Remy gets up to unplug the speakers, but Cyclops sighs and says, "No, of course, keep it. I'm sorry."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Remy nods. "Thank you. I-I don't know if she can hear this. But I hope she can."

Scott smiles tersely. "You like Andrew Bird?"

"Oh... not really. But she loves him."

Scott nods. "You know... I only heard of Andrew Bird because of Nori."

"You two know each other?" Remy asks. He wonders if that is why Scott is so hostile.

"No, no. But I used to listen to her music. And read her blog."

"Oh." Remy nods. A thought occurs to him and he picks up the canvas bag Logan had brought down the previous night. He extracts the Kindle. "Is this yours too?"

Scott laughs sharply. "Yeah."

"Here, take it. I don't know how to use it anyway. I don't want any trouble."

"No, here, I'll show you how to use it. You might get bored with solitaire eventually."

"Well... thank you, _mon ami_. I appreciate it."

Scott nods. "If nothing else, I think I owe it to Nori. Her music... she helped a lot of confused young mutants. Myself included."

"Really?"

"Yeah. She was really one of the few humans out there who seemed to accept mutants. And her songs... she just had a lot of reassuring things to say to people who didn't fit in."

Remy smiles. "She's something, isn't she?"

Scott sighs and talks Remy through the Kindle. He shows him the New York Times and some nonfiction books about mutants and a Tom Clancy novel. "Guilty pleasure," Scott admits with a grin. "Look, here's how you can order new books. Feel free to get anything you want. Or anything she might want."

"_Merci_," Remy says. He hesitates, then smiles at the new song that comes up on the iPod. "This is one of Nori's favorites."

Scott frowns. "This one? I never really listened to it.. it's so dissonant."

"I never liked it much myself, but she would listen to it over and over. She said it was like a puzzle." They listen to it together.

"It's kind of depressing," Scott says. "'We were all basically alone, despite what all your studies have shown? It's mistaken for closeness, it's just a case of mitosis?'"

"She had some dark moods," Remy says.

"Yeah," Scott says. "I mean... she used to sing about them." He gives a small grin.

"It's strange. I had never heard of her before Magneto found her in Stryker's files. I did not know, not for a long time, how important she was to so many people."

"You know... I felt, I felt betrayed when I found out she had joined the Brotherhood," Scott admits. Remy perhaps understands Scott's animosity now.

Remy smiles. "She didn't really come by choice, you know."

"There's always a choice, Gambit," Scott says.

Remy sighs. "Would you rather she chose to be captured by Stryker? Would you rather she chose death at the hands of anti-mutant hate-mongers?"

"She could have come here," Scott says, almost petulantly.

"Well, she's here now."

Scott sighs. "I'm sorry if... I'm sorry for what happened to you two. I'm sorry if I... if I haven't been welcoming."

"Hey, _mon ami_, you are the leader, _non_? It's your job to be suspicious of us. To protect your own people."

"I guess," Scott says.

Remy hesitates. "Last night, Dr. McCoy and Logan told me about your fiancee. I am sorry," he offers.

Scott looks like he's been slapped. "What, they told you to be nice to me because my girlfriend died?"

Remy holds out his hands again. He's good at talking his way out of situations. "_Non, non_. They just... we were just talking about Alkali Lake, and they mentioned her death. And I was sorry to hear it. And, I guess, if it were me... if Nori were dead, and I had to watch some other man's girl on life support like this... it would not be easy, _non?_"

Scott exhales. "I hope Nori recovers quickly," he says, genuinely.

"Thank you."

Scott looks at his watch. "I have to go teach class," he says. "I'll see you later."

"_Adieu_," Remy says. He spends another anxious, sleepless night. In the morning Hank comes down and frowns. "Remy, did you sleep last night?"

Remy shakes his head.

"Or the night before?"

Another head-shake.

"You need to take care of yourself," Hank tells him. "You've suffered a shock to your system as well. Do you need a sleep aid?"

"I'll sleep when she wakes up," Remy says.

"You're not going to do her any good by exhausting yourself, Remy. If you don't sleep tonight I will sedate you. Someone will stay with Miss Oyama. All right?"

That night, Hank follows through on his threat to sedate Remy. Remy wakes up hours later with a fuzzy head. In a matter of minutes he remembers where he is and he gets up to check on Nori. Hank's sitting next to her bed and reading something from Scott's Kindle.

Remy sits next to him and listens. Hank's voice is soothing.

Days pass and Remy remains by Nori's side. He still can't sleep without drugs, which Hank doles out every few days. In turn, all of the X-Men keep him company. He doesn't know how he can repay their kindness, or what he's done to merit it. He suspects that Nori is really the one who has won their goodwill, and they're simply paying it out on him since he's awake.

On the eighth day, Nori shifts slightly. He thinks maybe he imagined it. He keeps a close eye on her but she doesn't move again. He reports it to Hank, who tells him that consciousness will return slowly, but any slight movement is a good sign.

He continues to stare at Nori. Her bruises have all faded, but her nose is crooked. If it weren't a reminder of what those animals did to her, he'd find it cute. Her normally-expressive mouth is misshapen by the breathing tube. Hank puts petroleum jelly on her lips every day to keep them from cracking.

On the ninth day, she opens her eyes. She looks at him for a few seconds, then drifts off again. He's sure he recognizes her spark in that glance. He tells Hank about it, and Hank cautions him, "Remy... the CT scan shows damage to both her temporal lobe and her orbitofrontal cortex. She may show marked personality changes. She may be unable to communicate. She may not recognize you. We simply won't know until she regains consciousness." But Remy's sure that he saw his Nori peeking out at him. He's sure because he doesn't know what he'll do if it's not her.

Finally, a full two weeks after they'd been rescued, Nori opens her eyes and waves her left hand slightly.

Remy calls Hank down and in the meantime grins madly at Nori. "I missed you, _cher_," he says. She looks him in the eye and gives what seems like a smile, as much as she can move her mouth. She touches her hand to the plastic coming out of her mouth and he senses panic from her. "Calm down, _cher_, you need that to help you breathe." He takes her hand away from her mouth just as Hank strides into the room.

"Good afternoon, Miss Oyama," Hank says. "Remy is quite right, please don't touch your breathing tube. Blink twice if you understand me."

Her brown, almond-shaped eyes meet Hank's large blue ones, and she decisively blinks twice.

Hank smiles broadly. She glances at Remy again. "You recognize me, right, _cher_?" he asks. She blinks twice again, then raises her eyebrows, saying "Obviously" as plainly as if she had spoken aloud. He feels a wave of fondness from her and he strokes her wrist. Then she closes her eyes and is gone again.

Remy sighs. Hank says, "It's a very encouraging sign, Remy. I warned you that progress would be slow. She might wake up again this afternoon, or it might be tomorrow. As she recovers strength she'll stay awake for longer and longer periods of time." Impulsively, Remy stands up and hugs Hank.

"_Merci, merci, merci,_" he says.

Hank smiles. "Just doing my job. But I must caution you that she still has a long, slow battle ahead of her. And we still don't know what effect her injuries may have on her language and social skills."

Remy nods. "But she responded to us. She's in there."

"Yes, it seems that she is. Remy, I have to ask—did you feel her using her mutant ability just now?"

Remy does a double take. "_Oui_, I did. But I wasn't using my power." He'd been so delighted to see her awake that the strangeness hadn't registered.

"Yes, I felt it too, but I wasn't sure—perhaps my mutant strength would have given me the same kind of link with her as the one you mentioned she shared with Magneto, though I would doubt it."

"So what does that mean?"

"Again, it's too early to tell, but I wouldn't be surprised if her injuries altered the way her abilities work. That's why Cyclops can't control his beams—childhood head injury."

"Huh." Remy had wondered about the visor, but it hadn't occurred to him that mutant abilities could be damaged.

"Given the nature of her powers, I doubt the change will be anything too drastic. Even if she loses control of her empathy, it's nothing like Scott's out-of-control beams."

"Right," Remy says. He can't stop smiling, even after Hank's warnings. Nori makes a few muffled sounds in the afternoon. Later that evening, he feels her wake up though he doesn't notice any movement. She feels panicked again. He reminds her about her breathing tube and she relaxes a bit. Then he feels curiosity from her. He calls Hank quickly, then tells Nori, "We're safe here. We're with the X-Men. They have a doctor who's taking care of you."

Hank comes down and smiles. "Good evening, Miss Oyama. Do you remember me? Blink twice for yes, three times for no."

She studies him carefully, then offers three slow blinks and an emotion hard to read... apologetic and confused.

"That's quite all right. I"m Dr. Hank McCoy. Do you remember your friend here?"

She glances at Remy and blinks twice and again, Remy feels her fondness.

"Excellent. Now, are you in pain? Twice for yes, three times for no."

She blinks twice and Remy frowns. "Does your head hurt?" Two blinks.

"Anywhere else?" Two blinks.

Hank nods. "Not surprising. I'm going to give you some more pain killers."

Two blinks and what looks like a shrug. She lifts her right arm, which is encased in a cast, and sends out a quizzical emotion.

"Yes, your right arm is broken. It will heal with time," Hank says gently. She keeps sending curious thoughts out at them.

Remy looks to Hank. Should they tell her everything? Would she remember? Hank gently shakes his head. "Miss Oyama, you've been badly injured. You need more time to recover."

"I'll be right here with you, _cher_," Remy says. "I'm not going anywhere." From her comes a wave of grumpy-impatient-affection, and then she closes her eyes again.

Hank nods slowly. "It's not a good sign that she didn't remember me from earlier today, but it's not necessarily bad news. We'll keep waiting."


	4. Chapter 4

Two days later, Hank brings down a small notepad and marker the next time she awakens. She remembers Hank now. He asks her if she thinks she can write answers to his questions. She blinks twice.

She grips the marker awkwardly in her left hand. Carefully, she starts marking on the paper. She's slow and deliberate. Finally, she sets down the marker on her chest and lets Remy take the notepad. She's written several Japanese symbols.

"Hmm," says Hank. "Can you write your name for me? In English?"

She raises her eyebrows impatiently and writes something. Again, it's in Japanese. She hands it over proudly.

"Miss Oyama, I'm afraid you're writing in Japanese. Do you think you can write in English?"

Now they both sense frustration from her; but again, she writes in Japanese. She looks at it carefully before handing it over, and Remy shakes his head.

She motions with her hand to get the paper back, and Remy obligingly hands it to her, though he's given up hope of reading anything she writes. But this time she draws a heart. She slowly rips off the sheet and hands it to him. Then she draws a peace sign and hands it to Hank. She caps the marker and closes her eyes, exhausted with her effort.

Hank laughs. "Well, she hasn't lost her problem-solving skills."

"But she forgot English?" Remy asks, incredulously.

"She pretty clearly understands spoken English. This seems strange, but it isn't uncommon. Her written English may come back with time, or she may have to learn from scratch. But really, this is encouraging. I'd like to find someone who speaks Japanese to make sure that this is coherent, but assuming it is, she's retained written mastery of a complex language. And she also has access to some common symbols. This could be much, much worse."

Xavier wheels himself into the medbay then. "I felt her awaken," he says. "It seemed... complicated."

Hank shows him the notepad. "She's communicative, but it seems to be in Japanese."

"I'll ask Logan to translate."

"Logan knows Japanese?" Hank and Remy ask in unison.

"Yes," Xavier says with a smile. "He spent a few years in Japan."

Logan enters a few moments later, summoned by Xavier's telepathic call.

"What's goin' on?" he asks.

"Can you read this?" Remy replies, handing him the notebook.

Logan glances at it. "'I love you, what happened, Oyama Noriko, Oyama Noriko, English.'" He frowns. "Did she write this?"

"_Oui_."

"Well, at least we know she's coherent in one language. Excellent news," Hank says.

"But she can't write in English?" Logan asks.

"It appears not."

"Well," Logan says, "I can't write so good in Japanese, but I'd be happy to translate anything she comes up with."

"_Merci, mon frere,_" Remy replies.

The next day Logan translates a new note: "How much longer?" He reads it aloud and says, "Can you be more specific, darlin'?"

She points at her mouth and raises her eyebrows.

Hank nods. "We'll probably take you off the ventilator within the next few weeks, as you regain your strength. The trouble is you've been on it for a long time, so we can't just remove it all at once. It will be a gradual process of returning you to breathing on your own power."

She looks between Logan, Remy, and Hank, then carefully draws a frowning face.

Hank laughs. "I know it's frustrating. But we must exercise caution. Better a few extra days with the breathing tube than to take it out and risk further complications."

She bats her eyelashes twice for yes, then exasperatedly flutters them rapidly.

Hank starts, but Remy laughs. "I know, _cher_, it's killing you not to talk, isn't it?"

She adds angry eyebrows to her sad face and holds it up at him. Remy smiles and kisses her on the forehead. "Forgive me, _cher_, it's killing me too."

She writes a symbol on her notepad. Logan reads, "Hands." She looks pointedly at Remy's.

"Don't you worry 'bout my hands, _cherie_. They'll be back to normal soon enough." He pats her hand with stiff fingers and feels a flutter of concern from her.

Xavier enters the room and asks, "How are you feeling, Miss Oyama?"

She draws a happy face and holds it up, then flips back to the angry frowning face.

"Quite understandable," Xavier says. "Now. Miss Oyama, I am a telepath. I was wondering if you felt up to letting me examine your memories a little today." She meets his eyes and blinks twice.

"Thank you," he says, and approaches her, placing his hands on her face. Hank, Remy, and Logan watch carefully. Charles nods slightly. They spend a few minutes in silence.

He pulls away and says, "Her consciousness seems mostly intact—as is her personality, which I suppose is apparent. She should recover well."

Telepathically, Xavier tells Hank and Remy, _She has no conscious memory of what happened to her, although I did find some memory fragments. It... it's probably for the best if she doesn't remember it," _he concludes, his mental voice sad.

Remy looks at him. Xavier adds privately, "_Remy, you should know that she doesn't hold you responsible. She loves you."_

"_She doesn't remember what happened!_" Remy thinks angrily. "_I should have protected her."_

"_Help her now, Remy. Help her by forgiving yourself and moving on."_

"_Easy for you to say."_

Xavier looks at him kindly. Remy looks to Nori, who's asleep again. He leans his head back against the wall and sighs. Xavier and Hank go off to have a private conversation in the lab, and Logan goes down the hall to train with some of the X-Kids.

Remy reads an issue of _Rolling Stone_ aloud off of Scott's Kindle, cover to cover—metaphorically speaking. He carefully turns off the Kindle and puts it away, then nods off in his chair.

Scott, prodded by Xavier, finds his way down to the medbay. He hates being down here—it reminds him of Jean. But Xavier gently reminds him that everyone else had had a turn of sitting up with Nori while Remy slept. Scott didn't trust Remy. He'd read the files on him—the man was a thief and had spent years with Magneto. And Remy had been right, the last time they'd spoken—it was hard for him to watch Remy get a second chance with his girlfriend, when Scott wouldn't get one. Scott suspects that Xavier has some kind of ulterior motive for getting him to spend time down here, probably wanting him to make his peace with Remy or Nori or someone. But he's not in the mood.

He picks up his Kindle and reads for awhile, until he becomes aware of a gentle, inquisitive presence in his mind. It's not Xavier.. or Jean... he looks at Nori, whose eyes are open. He remembers that Hank had said something about her powers changing. She gives a little wave when he looks at her, and the sense of curiosity grows stronger.

"Hey," he says softly. "I... I don't know if you remember me. I'm Scott." It must have been what she was wondering, because the curiosity dissipates.

"Do you need anything? I can get Hank if..." he trails off. She blinks three times, decisively. She looks at his face for a long time, then awkwardly picks up her small notebook and draws a sad face. She holds it up to him.

"You're sad?" he asks. She blinks three times, points to the sad face, and points to him.

"I'm sad?" He feels... something like concern from her, and also frustration.

"You're asking if I'm sad." Two blinks.

Scott sighs. "I guess I am sad."

She lifts her eyebrows inquisitively and waits patiently, not that she has much choice. "My fiancee died... a few months ago."

Sorrow and compassion float over from her. Was this why Xavier had wanted him to come see Nori? Scott sighs inwardly. But Xavier's instincts were right... it is easy to talk to someone he doesn't know, especially someone who can't talk back and offer platitudes.

"Her name was Jean... she died at Alkali Lake." Now he feels anger mixed into her emotions. He remembers that she'd spent a long time imprisoned by Stryker at Alkali.

"She drowned, when the floodgates burst... she... she died saving the rest of us." Nori's emotions shift to sorrow and... respect? It's a new experience for Scott. So pure. Jean and Xavier send thoughts or directions or images, but not feelings. Her gift is both more ambiguous and easier to understand.

She pulls out her notebook and starts working on something. It's taking much longer than the sad face, and he hopes she's not writing something in Japanese. The last thing he wants is to have to ask Logan for a translation.

Finally she hands it over, feeling proud of her work. She's drawn out a few bars of music. He hums it and grins when he realizes what it is. "Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly?"

She nods.

"You think I've just been waiting for this moment to be free?"

Three blinks. Her emotions are muddled. He thinks maybe she thinks she's offended him.

"No... it's a good song. You're right."

She sighs. Painstakingly she picks up her notebook again. She spends a long time on it. While she writes, Scott turns on his iPod and plays the White Album. They listen to Back in the USSR and Dear Prudence and Glass Onion while she works.

Finally she hands it back to him. She's written out the melody to the chorus of Let It Be, and below it, several tidy Japanese characters.

"Let it be," he says. "Good advice, I guess." She blinks twice. "I miss her so much," he says. "I..." he trails off as her eyes flutter shut. He sits for a long time staring at the impromptu sheet music.

Logan comes downstairs with a six-pack of Molson and looks surprised to see Scott. "Hey, One-Eye," he says. Not hostile—he says the nickname as if it were his name.

"Hey, Logan," Scott says. "Remy's asleep," he adds, unnecessarily.

"Good," Logan says. "He's been exhausted."

"Logan, can you translate this?" Scott says, passing over Nori's notebook.

"She's writing music now?"

"Yeah. The Beatles."

"Go figure." Logan frowns. "This is... I don't know, It's like... 'Nothing is between the blue and the sky, nothing is between you and me.' That mean anything to you?"

Scott shrugs. "Kind of. Thanks."

Logan nods. "You want a beer?"

"Yeah, I think I do," Scott says. He knows he's not the one Logan came intending to drink with, but what the hell. It's been too long since he's had a drink with anyone. And maybe a few beers will make Wolverine more tolerable.

"Hey, do you have any of Nori's music on that thing?" Logan asks, nodding toward the iPod speakers.

"Yeah," Scott says. "You want to listen to it?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind. I've never heard any of it." Scott takes a sip of beer, and gets up to change the music.

Her voice is clear and strong, but a little... a little teasing. She conveys a lot with it.

_Red state, blue state, state of grace,_

_It's Election Day and I miss your face_

_But since I found out you're a Republican_

_Well, I just Repbubli-can't_

Logan laughs. "She's funny."

"Sometimes," Scott acknowledges.

The next song of hers that comes up is more melancholy.

_Dylan got tangled up in blue_

_But I'm tangled up in black_

_And baby I miss you_

_But what you said you can't take back_

_You can blame your fear or blame the beer_

_But nothing's worse than a self-hating queer  
><em>

Logan's finished with his beer, and Scott downs the rest of his to catch up.

"What's a girl like her doing with a guy like LeBeau?" Scott asks.

"I've been wondering that same thing myself, me," Remy says, good-naturedly.

Logan and Scott wheel around. Scott actually blushes. Remy waves a bandaged hand dismissively. "No harm, _mon ami_, it is a fair question. As best I can tell, I believe I won her over with my charm and persistence."

Logan snorts. "Hey Gambit, your girl's writing music," Logan says, holding up her notebook.

Remy beams. "Guess it makes sense. She told me she learned how to read music before she learned English."

"You want a beer?" Logan asks.

"Indeed I do," Remy says. Logan opens one and passes it over. Remy's forced to awkwardly hold it between his palms, but it's worth it.

"I don't think you're supposed to mix alcohol with sleeping pills," Scott says mildly.

Logan rolls his eyes and Remy slightly raises his beer. "To living dangerously, then," he says.


	5. Chapter 5

Three days later, Nori's moments of consciousness can be measured in hours rather than minutes. Hank puts a speaking valve in her breathing tube and she starts trying to talk. It comes out in awkward, breathy whispers. English comes to her slowly, a word at a time. When Logan's around she speaks full Japanese sentences to him. From her empathic projections, everyone can tell she's frustrated, though it rarely manifests in her speech.

Remy hangs on her every word. Hank brings Nori a book of sudoku to work on. Her pattern recognition skills prove sharp and she methodically works her way up to the expert level. Remy takes her on short walks around the medbay.

Two weeks later, after weaning her off of it, Hank permanently removes Nori's breathing tube. She surprises him with a kiss on the cheek when he leans in to listen to her unassisted breathing. After a few days of popsicles and throat lozenges, her scratchy voice returns to normal. She shows off to Remy by perfectly singing along with Joni Mitchell. She still has trouble stringing together English sentences, but every word to "California" is easily accessible.

Later Hank and Scott come down together and Remy tells them about her singing. Hank nods, thoughtfully. "Not unprecedented. Speech and music therapy often find great success with singing, and especially for someone with a musical background. Music and speech use different parts of the brain."

"Are you taking requests?" Scott asks Nori.

She shrugs. "Try." She purses her lips, aware that that didn't sound right.

"You'll try?" Scott asks, gently. She nods. "How about Blackbird?" he asks.

She smiles and thinks, then opens her mouth and performs the song perfectly.

All three men applaud, and her empathy sends out a pleased feeling.

The next day, Logan brings her a thick Japanese-English dictionary. She can't make heads or tails of it. She shakes her head, bewildered.

"You can't read?" Logan asks, incredulously.

Her eyes fill with tears and Logan lays his heavy hand on hers. "We'll teach you," he says. "You'll remember." Later that day, Hank brings down a child's alphabet book and points to A. She stares at him, and everyone in the room feels her panic.

"Don't worry, Nori. This is normal," Hank says, soothingly. "This is the letter A. Can you say A?"

"A," she repeats. She's embarrassed.

"Nori, look at me," Hank says. "This isn't your fault. You're recovering from a traumatic head injury." Hank works with her. He's kind and patient. He teaches her the alphabet song—which it turns out she remembers, but has trouble matching with the printed alphabet. But she makes progress, and Hank is confident that she'll learn.

Remy, flexing his newly-unbandaged fingers, tries to read her children's books but she gives him a withering glare. "Read something... real," she says. He laughs and obliges her. He's a few chapters into _A Prayer for Owen Meany_, which Scott had recommended to them, when Magneto and Pyro come stalking into the medbay, trailed by Xavier, Scott, and Logan. The room is very tense.

Nori looks up at them and waves. Remy sizes them up and takes Nori's hand, and Logan places himself between Nori and Magneto and snarls. Magneto laughs. "Please, Wolverine, no theatrics."

Nori's emitting too many emotions for any of them to be readable. She says something to Logan in Japanese. He looks at her hard, then nods. He sits down next to Remy.

"So are you guys with them now?" Pyro asks, betrayal written in his dark eyes.

Nori searches for words. "I was... sleeping."

Hank enters the medbay, scowling. "I sincerely hope that you two are not here to interfere with my patient's care."

"We came out of concern for two of our brethren," Magneto says.

"How did you even get in here?" Scott glowers.

"Don't forget, I helped build your precious school," Magneto sneers. "I know my way around it."

"Be nice," Nori says, angrily. "All."

"Magneto," Remy says, "The X-Men saved us. I'm pretty sure Nori would have died if they hadn't come when they did. And I'm pretty sure she would have died if Dr. McCoy here hadn't taken care of her. We didn't even know where you were."

Pyro's dropped to his knees next to Nori. He takes her hand and whispers, "Are you okay?"

She shrugs. "Kind of." She squeezes his hand. "Missed you."

Pyro smiles. "Missed you too."

"What exactly happened?" Magneto asks.

Remy shrugs. "We don't quite remember. But the X-Men here came and took us out of an FOH house."

"I can see that you did an excellent job protecting her," Magneto says, snidely. Remy flushes but makes no response. Magneto turns to Xavier. "How did you find them?"

"Nori called out to me," Xavier replies.

"How did you do that?" Magneto asks Nori.

She looks away from Pyro and up at Magneto. "I am... not knowing." She speaks to Logan, who can barely restrain his hostility when he translates for Magneto, "She says she doesn't remember anything from how they got hurt. She says to leave Remy alone." She whispers something else. "She says not to worry about her." She nods and gives Magneto a small smile.

"What is going on here?" Magneto asks.

"Why don't we talk about this upstairs?" Xavier suggests.

"No!" Nori says. Her eyes are fierce.

Hank speaks up. "Both Remy and Noriko were injured by members of the FOH. Remy's injuries were milder, and he has almost fully recovered. Nori, on the other hand, suffered severe injuries, including a traumatic brain injury, which has affected her mutant ability and her language skills. She is still recovering and will likely require months of therapy before she is anything like recovered. She's speaking fluent Japanese, though, which Logan can translate."

"And none of you thought that I might like to know about this?" Magneto asks, his voice chilly.

"I didn't know where you were," Remy says. "And... we've been kinda busy."

Magneto turns to Charles. "And you? You didn't know where to find me?" 

"I thought perhaps they should be able to recover in peace," Charles says mildly.

"Echo, my dear, is this true?" Magneto asks, not unkindly.

She nods. "I am...hurt," she says.

"Yes. I see. And are Charles and his X-Men treating you well?" His voice has a dangerous cast.

"Yes," she says, and everyone in the room feels her affection.

"Do you wish to stay with them while you recover?"

"Yes."

Magneto nods. "Gambit, I trust you prefer to remain with Echo?"

"Yes." He grips her bedrail tightly.

"Well, then we shall leave you. Echo, my dear, I wish you a speedy recovery." She nods and waggles the fingers of her left hand.

Pyro gets up to follow Magneto out, a determined look on his face.

"John," she says. Pyro looks at her.

"It's Pyro. Not John," he says, his voice brittle.

She sighs. "Pyro." She waves him back to her. He goes, reluctantly. She motions again for him to come back down to her level. She strokes his hair with her good hand and whisper-sings, "_This is the story of how we begin to remember, this is the powerful pulsing of love in the vein. After the dream of falling and calling your name out... these are the roots of rhythm, and the roots of rhythm remain. In early memory, Mission music was ringing around my nursery door. I said, take this child, Lord, from Tucson, Arizona, give her the wings to fly through harmony, and she won't bother you no more_." She kisses his forehead. "Don't be mad," she whispers.

He stands up and pats her shoulder. "Goodbye, Echo. Bye, Gambit," he says, as he follows Magneto out. Charles and Scott follow them in turn.

Logan, Hank, Remy, and Nori remain in the medbay, quietly contemplating. They can all tell that Nori is shaken.

"Hey, darlin', we won't let Magneto hurt you."

"No. I am... I have worry. For Pyro."

"That kid can take care of himself."

"He is sad."

"Nori and Pyro were close," Gambit says. "She was... a second mother, like."

"Huh," Logan grunts.

"He needs love," Nori says, carefully.

"Yes," Gambit agrees.

"How are you feeling, Nori?" Hank interjects.

"Sad," she says.

"Are you in physical pain?"

She shrugs.

"Are you hungry?"

"No."

"In a little while, you need to eat something. All right?"

She nods.

"I hope Magneto's visit wasn't too upsetting." She twists her face into an expression that Hank is pretty sure translates into something like "Duh." He sighs.

"Come on, _petite_, let's take a walk," Remy says.

"An excellent idea," Hank says.

"Okay," Nori says. Remy helps her out of bed and she wraps her arm around his waist. It almost feels like they're a normal couple taking a walk together, except that he has to wheel along her IV drip, and she's still very weak and leans on him heavily. He doesn't mind.

"Good girl," he says. They make it to the hallway and pause. He kisses the top of her head.

"Love you," Nori says.

"You're not bad y'self, _cherie_." She makes an indignant sound and he laughs. "Love you too, _ma mie_."

They make their way back across the medbay and Remy helps Nori safely back into bed. She's radiating affection for him, and Logan and Hank glance at each other. It feels like they're invading on a private moment, so they both leave the medbay.


	6. Chapter 6

Scott is fuming, pacing up and down Xavier's study. "Professor, I can't believe Magneto would just come right in here like this. Imagine if the kids had seen him. They would have been terrified."

Charles shakes his head. "Scott... I think Magneto tried his best not to do that. They drove up in a normal car, not a helicopter. They came in the back door. As far as I can tell, they came out of genuine concern."

"But he was wearing his helmet. You couldn't tell."

"John didn't have a helmet."

"So you think he actually cares about what happens to Noriko?"

"He's not a monster, Scott. He does care for the well-being of mutants, and I think he has a bit of a soft spot for her."

Scott snorts. "Yes, that was evident this afternoon."

"It was, Scott. Erik... grows angry for the ones he cares about."

Scott narrows his eyes. He thinks Charles has too much of a soft spot for Magneto. "Do you think... are they going to go back to the Brotherhood after she heals? They know a lot about us."

Charles shrugs. "Nothing Erik doesn't already know. Nothing he couldn't send Mystique here to find out. Do you want them to go?"

"I don't know," Scott says. "Gambit's a good fighter, but... I don't know if I trust him. And Noriko... well, she's no fighter. But I do like her. I think she'd probably be safer here than with the Brotherhood."

"I think that Gambit has proved he can be loyal, if it's a cause he believes in," Xavier says with a slight smile. "And I have to agree with you about Noriko's safety. It's a shame she's gotten mixed up with all of this."

"You want them both to stay, don't you?"

"I hope that all mutants who need one find a safe haven here at the school," Charles says mildly. "But yes. I think that the school could benefit from having both them here. And they could benefit as well."

"Do you think John will ever come back?" Scott asks.

"You mean, if Remy and Nori stay? No, I don't. He... cares for Nori, but he has grown very loyal to Magneto. He truly believes in the Brotherood in a way that neither Nori nor Remy do. But he will take it as a personal betrayal if they defect. I fear that it will only fuel his anger." Xavier sighs.

"Nothing's ever easy, is it?" Scott asks. His anger at Magneto has faded, but he's still angry at the situation. The others have commented on how sweet Remy's devotion to Nori is, but he can't help but be jealous. If it had been Jean, he would have been the one reading to her and walking her around the medbay. He can't help but imagine how angry Jean would be to be rendered illiterate by an injury, especially one caused by the FOH. But he's forced to admire the grace Nori has shown throughout this process, and he doesn't want to think about her returning to Magneto, especially in her fragile state.

He nods goodbye to Charles and brings a late dinner down to Remy and Nori, though Nori's asleep.

"_Merci, mon ami_," Gambit says.

"What's with the French, anyway?"

"Louisiana Cajun, me."

"Ah."

"Where are you from?"

"I'm a military brat. We moved around a lot, and then I was orphaned when I was 14."

"Sorry to hear that."

Scott shrugs. "It was a long time ago. I was in foster care for a few years, and then I got taken by Stryker when I was in high school. Xavier came and found me, and I've been here ever since. Except college."

Remy nods and takes a sip of soup.

"Are your parents still around?" Scott asks. He's not sure what to expect.

Remy shrugs. "Don't know. They got rid of me when I was a baby." He taps his red eyes. "I've had these since birth and I guess some people just want blue-eyed babies, you know?"

Scott nods. "Yeah, I know. So... what happened?"

"I got taken in by the T'ieves Guild. Perhaps not an idyllic childhood, but I survived." Scott would have expected a jab about not being taken in by Xavier, but Remy doesn't sound bitter. He's happy to have survived.

"Have you given any thought to what you two are going to do once she recovers?" Scott asks, nodding toward Nori.

"Don't know," Remy says with a sigh. "I know Magneto and Pyro want us to go back, but... I don't know. Don't know what other options we have."

"You're both welcome to stay here," Scott says, surprising himself. "At the school."

"Join the X-Men?" Remy asks, an eyebrow raised.

"If you want. Or just as teachers."

Remy laughs. "Only thing I'm fit t'teach is card-playin'. Y'all offer a class in that?"

Scott laughs too. "No. But we do teach French. And we could use a music teacher."

"Are you sure you'd have us?" He glances at Nori. "She is a real trouble-maker, her."

"I think we could handle the two of you, yeah. You don't have to decide now. But I just wanted you to know you're welcome here. I... I don't think we got off on the right foot, and I'm sorry."

"I understand, _mon ami_. You have your responsibilities to the school and the students. You have to watch out for them."

"I think you two could watch out for them too."

Remy nods. "I... I would be honored. And I think she would be happy to stay here. She is... well, she's more like Xavier than she is like Magneto."

"Yeah," Scott says. He can't help but wonder which of the two men Gambit is most like, but he suspects that it's an uncharitable thought.


	7. Chapter 7

More days pass. As Nori's health and grasp of English improve, Remy grows restless. They've been in the basement for three months, by his count. Logan invites him to train in the Danger Room and Remy finds it thrilling.

He describes it to Nori, who rolls her eyes. "Like a game?"

"_Oui_, a really good one."

"If you're happy," she says, holding his hand.

The next week, Hank leads a white-faced Bobby Drake into the medlab. Nori's playing guitar—which she remembers perfectly and has been happily practicing ever since Hank took the cast off of her right arm and Scott brought down a used Gibson acoustic for her. She looks up in surprise and sets down the guitar.

"All right?" she asks.

"Who's that?" Bobby asks.

"Bobby here took a fall on the basketball court," Hank says. "As to the rest, I'll explain later."

Both look suspicious, but Nori nods.

"Need help?"

"No, thank you." Hank sits Bobby up on an examining table in another room of the medbay. The boy is trying not to cry. When Hank gently examines his arm, he finally gives into tears. Hank gives him some pain medication and takes him in for an X-ray.

"As I suspected, it's fractured. I'll put on a cast. Do you want a color?"

"Blue?" Bobby says.

"A good choice, my friend."

Hank leads Bobby back out into the infirmary room where Nori's been living.

"Hello," she says.

"Uh, hey," Bobby replies.

"How is your arm?" she asks.

He shrugs. "Hurts."

She nods. "Broke my arm too. Better, now." She sends him sympathetic vibes through her empathy, and he looks a little startled.

"Allow me to make introductions," Hank says. "Noriko, this is Bobby Drake. He's a senior at Xavier's school. Bobby... this is Noriko Oyama. She's..." he pauses.

Nori shrugs. "Complicated," she suggests.

Hank laughs. "Yes, I suppose. Noriko is a mutant who was attacked by the FOH and has suffered brain damage, which caused her to suffer a form of aphasia, impacting her English language skills. She's been here recovering."

"How long has she been here?"

"A while." Nori says.

"A little over three months," Hank says.

"And... how come nobody knew she was here?"

"None of the students knew," Hank corrects. "There were a lot of reasons why we decided not to introduce her to students, Bobby. For starters, she's been comatose for much of her time here. Also, I didn't want her to be overwhelmed. And she hasn't been able to communicate very well until recently. Her presence here wasn't a secret, exactly, but it just didn't seem like it would be productive to introduce her to the students."

"Okay. And?" Bobby says.

"And, yes, Nori has been a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants and we were afraid her presence would startle some students. But Bobby, trust me, no one here is in any danger from Nori."

She shakes her head. "No," she says. Her gaze drifts down to the corner of the room.

"What... what happened to you?" Bobby asks, hesitantly.

"I got hit a lot," Nori says.

"Yeah," Bobby says, glancing at Hank.

Just then, Remy and Logan come in from the Danger Room.

"Hey, Iceman," Logan says.

Bobby sizes up Gambit. "Just how many Brotherhood members are you guys hiding in the basement?"

"Two," Hank says.

"We're not exactly in the Brotherhood any more," Remy says, easily. He extends a hand. "Remy LeBeau."

Bobby offers his left hand. "Bobby Drake."

"Pleased to meet you," Remy says.

"Yeah," Bobby says. "Sorry. This is kind of weird."

"I s'pose," Remy says.

"I'm gonna go," Bobby says.

"I'll walk with you, Bobby," Hank says.

"I hope your arm gets... better," Nori says.

"Yeah. Thanks," Bobby says.

After they leave, Nori regards Remy and Logan solemnly. "He doesn't like me."

Logan shrugs. "Give him time. He's an okay kid. He's surprised. And his arm is broken."

"Aren't too many people in this world who don't like you, _cher_."

"Enough," Nori says. Briefly, Remy and Logan feel a dark mood settle over her.

Remy sits next to her on the bed and wraps his arm around her.

"What are we going to do?" she whispers.

"What do you mean?" Remy asks.

"Are we going to stay here? I don't want people to be afraid of me."

Logan laughs. "Nobody could be afraid of you for more'n five minutes, darlin'. The kids here can be suspicious, but they'll warm up quick. Even Summers warmed up to you, and he's got a stick so far up his ass I'm surprised it don't come out the top of his head."

She quirks her mouth. "I like him."

"You like everyone," Remy says.

"You two should stay here," Logan says. "The kids could use another person around here who likes them. I mean, if you can get John Allerdyce to like you... you can work miracles, as far as I'm concerned. And I need somebody to play poker with," he adds with a grin.

"That was... before," Nori says.

"Hey, darlin', look at me." She raises her eyes. "Your English is just fine. It's more than enough to win a kid over. And if LeBeau here could charm his way into your good graces, I'm not concerned about him at all. You'll both do just fine here."

She sighs and leans down to pick up her guitar. She strums idly, improvising. Her spirits begin to lift.

"Sorry," she says. "Scared."

"You're allowed," Logan says.

Her picking grows quicker, more complicated. She starts to sing:

_"There must be some way out of here" said the joker to the thief_

_"There's too much confusion, I can't get no relief_

_Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth_

_None of them along the line know what any of it is worth"_

Logan nods. "I'll take you over Dylan or Hendrix," he says.

She laughs. "Sacrilege." She frowns and confirms with Logan in Japanese that the word meant what she thought it meant. He nods, then laughs. "You're something else, kid."

Mildly, in Japanese, she reminds Logan that she's not a kid. He squeezes her hand and excuses himself to go up for dinner. "I'll bring something down for you two."

"_Arigatoooo_," Nori calls.

Remy positions himself behind her and she leans against him and keeps strumming her guitar, careful not to hit him with the neck.

She's startled when Bobby and Hank walk in with four dinner trays.

"Hello," she says.

"Hey," Bobby responds.

"We thought we'd keep you company over dinner," Hank says.

Nori sets her guitar down and turns to face them. "Great," she says, with her wide smile. "How is your arm?"

"It's all right," Bobby says. "So, you broke your arm too?"

"Somebody broke it for me," she says, with a small smile.

"Uh, right," Bobby says. "Sorry."

She shakes her head and takes a bite of salad. She projects amusement.

"Are you—are you a telepath?" he asks.

"No," she says. "Empath. And... I... Hank, you explain."

Hank nods. "Following her head injury, Nori has lost control of her empathic projections. She just projects what she's feeling. She doesn't have telepathy, and she can't read your emotions."

Nori nods.

"Cool," Bobby says. "I mean, sorry you can't control it."

She shrugs. "Actually it is helpful. Since I have... troubles... with English," she says, self-consciously.

"You're way easier to understand than Mr. Wagner was. Uh, he's German," Bobby says.'

"Yes, I met him," she says.

"What? When," Bobby asks.

She drops her gaze. "We were with Stryker together."

Bobby blushes. "Oh. Sorry."

"No harm," she says lightly. "So, Bobby, what do you do? For fun?"

"Well, I used to play basketball," Bobby says, looking ruefully at his arm.

"You can, soon," she says. "What else?"

"I guess just hanging out with my friends. Doing homework, watching movies. Like normal teen stuff."

She smiles. "Good."

"Can I ask you something?" Bobby blurts.

"Yes."

"How come you were with Magneto?"

Nori looks rueful. "Popular question." She shrugs. "He saved my life. Well, the Brotherhood. Did." She glances at Remy.

"Oh." Bobby says. "What about... did you know John?"

"Yes. Oh, yes, Bobby. He spoke of you."

"Is he... how is he?"

"He...I worry for him, now," she says, staring at the floor. "I forgot he was from here. Your friend?"

"Yeah, I mean... I thought we were."

She looks sad. "He was very angry. But I care for him."

Bobby glances from her to Gambit and back to her.

"Not romantically," Remy clarifies. "I mean.. right, _cherie_?"

She nods. "Right," she says, exasperatedly. "Like a son." She looks down.

"Oh. You must miss him," Bobby says.

"Yes. You, too?"

"Yeah, I miss him. But... did he say why he left?"

"He was angry," she repeats.

"I mean, at me?"

"No," she says, "At humans. At the school."

"Yeah. Okay. That makes sense. Did... did he ever talk about me?" Bobby asks, plaintively.

Nori opens her mouth and looks down.

"It's okay," Bobby says quickly.

"He did miss you," she says. She's projecting concern—though whether it's for John or Bobby or both isn't clear. "I—it is not my place. To say."

Bobby nods. Nori pushes her food around her plate and Remy nudges her with his elbow. "You gotta eat more, _cher_."

"Cher? Like the singer?" Bobby blurts.

"_Non_, it is French," Remy says. Nori giggles.

"Sorry... I take Spanish," Bobby says.

"S'okay," Nori says. "I never know what he talks about."

"I thought you liked it when I spoke French, _ma mie_." Nori tries to look exasperated but actually just looks charmed.

"So, are you like... from France?" Bobby asks.

"_Non_, I am from New Orleans."

"Oh. Cool."

"Where are you from?"

"Boston."

"So you are used to the cold weather."

"Uh, yeah." Bobby says. "Well, actually..." he gestures and freezes Remy's water glass solid. "I kind of make it."

"Your popsicles never melt!" Nori says excitedly.

"Uh, no, I guess not."

"Mine always drip," she says.

"It is one of your many tragedies," Remy says solemnly.

"Can you freeze this?" Nori asks, holding up a strawberry.

"Sure," Bobby says, and does so. She looks at it delightedly.

"You still have to eat it," Remy says.

She takes a bite and grins. "Neat! Can you... un-freeze?"

Bobby shakes his head.

"You asked for it, you have to eat it," Remy teases. She finishes the strawberry and sticks her tongue out.

Bobby laughs.

"Hey, uh, it was nice to talk with you guys. I'm going to go up and finish my homework," Bobby says.

"Bye," Nori says. She waves.

"_Adieu_," Remy says.

"See you around?" Bobby asks.

"I think yes," Nori says.

Hank smiles as Bobby leaves. "That went well."

Remy raises his eyebrows. "Were we auditioning?"

"No," Hank said. "Well, I suppose it was more like an experiment. I knew that Bobby would come to accept you, but I wasn't sure how long it would take."

Remy nudges Nori. "I told you people would like you."

"You are..." she frowns.

"Charming?" he supplies.

"Biased."

Hank's smile widens. "Tell me. You two plan on staying at Xavier's, correct?"

Remy and Nori glance at each other and nod.

"If we may," Nori says.

"Yes. Of course," Hank says, with genuine surprise. "I imagine we'll have a meeting soon to discuss this with all of the teachers, but I think you two could leave the medbay and move upstairs within the week."

Nori suddenly feels anxious.

"What's wrong, _cher_?"

"How... how many students?" she asks, quietly.

"There are about 40," Hank says. "But you won't have to meet them all at once."

She ducks her head and peeks back up at Hank. "We can wait if you're not comfortable," he says. "But think about it. It will do you good. It will do the students good."

"Okay," she whispers.

Hank looks at her kindly. "We'll talk about it tomorrow."

She nods and Remy strokes her thigh through the light blue scrub pants she's wearing.

"Can I get some real clothes if I'm going to meet everyone?" she asks.

"I am certain that can be arranged," Hank says. "Perhaps Ororo can do some shopping. I doubt you would appreciate my fashion sensibilities."

"Okay. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Good night, Nori."

That night, for the first time, Nori and Remy sleep curled together in her hospital bed. Nori is happy to be held, and Remy is happy to have a reminder that she is solid, flesh and blood. Sometimes, looking at her, she seems like she's too sharp and angular, like her bones would cut him if he held her. He's pleased that they don't.


	8. Chapter 8

In the morning they lie together, quietly and chastely, for a long time. Remy is pleased about the possibility of regaining privacy soon. Nori's lying peacefully half-asleep with her face on Remy's chest when Ororo comes down to the medbay with food for them.-

"Good morning," she says.

Nori carefully sits up on the edge of her bed. "Hi," she says.

"Morning, 'Ro," Remy says, happily accepting coffee.

Ororo hands Nori a cup of thick brown liquid. "I am under strict orders from Hank to make sure that you drink all of this," she says.

Nori scrunches her nose. "What is it?"

"Some kind of protein shake. I think it is peanut butter and banana."

Nori looks skeptical, but begins sipping it.

"Hank also told me that I get to go shopping for you," Ororo says with a smile.

"Thanks," Nori says.

Ororo shakes her head. "Thank _you_. I love clothes shopping and I so rarely get to go. Tell me, what kind of clothes do you usually like?"

Nori shrugs and swallows her smoothie. "Jeans. Tank tops. Little girl party dresses. No leather."

"Little girl party dresses?" Ororo asks with eyebrows raised.

"I can wear large children's clothes. I like... pink, colors. Fun. Not these," she says, indicating her scrub pants.

"Obviously not those," Ororo says, shocked. "What stores do you like?"

"Goodwill. Mostly."

Ororo gives her an icy look. "I am not shopping at Goodwill."

Nori smiles. "Anywhere."

"Can you write a list of your sizes?"

Nori does, with some difficulty.

Ororo says. "Remy, you write your sizes, too. I know Scott gave you some of his things, but I think you have different tastes than he does, yes?"

Nori laughs. "He dresses like a pimp."

Remy looks at her askance. "How did you even learn that word? And I do not." He pauses. "Though I admit I do wear slightly more colorful clothing than Scott does."

Nori giggles and says, "That is true."

"Well. I will have to see what the mall has to offer," Ororo says. "And Noriko, do not think that I did not notice your glass is still half-full."

"Optimism," Nori says, taking a long sip. She makes a face, then finishes the glass in one gulp. "Ta-da."

"Hank will be very pleased," Ororo says.

"Hooray," Nori says, and takes a sip of tea.

"Have a pleasant morning," Ororo says. "I will see you both later today."

"Byeee," Nori sings.

"_Adieu, Tempête,"_ Remy says, to which Ororo rolls her eyes.

After Ororo leaves, Remy says, "You know, _cher_, your English was perfect when you were making fun of ol' Remy. I think you get nervous and you think your English is worse than it is."

"Maybe." She bites her lip thoughtfully.

He kisses her forehead. "_Cherie_, you are just about the smartest, nicest lady there is. Don't be afraid of those kids. Don't be afraid of anything."

"Okay," she says. "I will try."

"_Ma fille douce_."

"Wait. What?"

"My sweet girl," he murmurs.

"Oh. Okay."

"Let's play cards," she says.

"I love the way you think."

They climb down off the hospital bed and sit on two chairs with a small end table between them. Being able to sit in a chair is still a relatively recent development for Nori, and she relishes it.

She remembers how to play poker, though Remy's still a far better player than she is. But the game is fast-paced enough to keep her attention, which tends to wander these days.

At lunchtime Hank comes down. "How are we feeling today?" he asks, brightly.

Nori blinks. "I'm well. How are you and you?" she asks, looking at Remy and Hank in turn.

Hank laughs. "I'm quite well, myself. And you, Remy?"

"_Ça va très bien, merci."_

"_Génial,"_ Hank says, setting down two lunch trays. "Noriko, I want to talk about your diet."

"I drank a smoothie," she says.

"A good start. You must be sure to eat everything we give you. A balanced diet with sufficient protein and other nutrients will be critical in helping you return to physical strength as quickly as possible."

"Yes, fine," she says.

"Remy, I'm putting you in charge of making sure she eats enough."

"_Bien sur_."

Nori wrinkles her nose. "He will be unbearable about this."

"Good," Hank says. "Now. Tonight after dinner, we'll have a meeting with all of the X-Men and talk about how to transition you two into the school. Do you have any questions now?"

Nori and Remy glance at each other.

"No," they both say in unison.

"Very well. I will see you both tonight, then," Hank says, departing the medbay.

Nori looks at her meal and quirks her mouth.

"You have to eat it, _ma mie_, or I will feed it to you."

"I am eating," she says, taking a spoonful of cottage cheese.

"I thought cottage cheese was diet food," Remy says.

"It has a lot of protein."

"You sure you don't want some of this tuna salad?"

"Gross."

"Have you always been a vegetarian?"

"Yes, my whole family is."

"Ah, so you have never eaten tuna?"

She hesitates. "With Stryker."

"Oh, _cher_, you never told me that." Remy might tease her about eating meat but he knows how disgusted it makes her. He's feeling shame and revulsion from her right now. "_Mon dieu_, what an asshole that man was."

She pushes her plate away and Remy mentally kicks himself.

"_Cherie_..."

"I will eat more later. Okay?"

"Of course." He reaches out to stroke her hair and she looks down.

She spends an hour playing guitar, which calms her enough that she can dutifully eat the rest of her lunch.

Remy beams. "Good job."

She glowers. "I'm not a child."

Remy recoils. "No, of course not, _cherie_. I'm sorry."

"No, I... I... I am tired of this. I want my life."

"You have your life."

"My old life."

"Before you met me?" he asks, pouting to mask a bit of actual hurt.

"No... well..." she sighs. "I love you. I want you in my life. But I want... I want...not this."

"_Ma mie_, no one would want this. But you are doing so, so well here. This is your life now. It's our life."

She looks up at him. "You would not choose this life either, no?"

"I choose life with you." She cries at that, and he tugs her into his arms. She cries into his chest and finally sighs and says, "Okay. Okay. I can do this."

"Yes. You can."

They pass the rest of the afternoon without incident, and after dinner the rest of the X-Men file downstairs.

"Let's meet in the lab," Hank suggests. "There's more space."

Remy and Nori follow, and they all arrange themselves on chairs and stools.

"All right," Scott says. "So, you two intend to stay at the school?"

"Yes. If-if that is all right," Nori says.

"Of course," Charles says, warmly. "We would be delighted to have you both."

Remy glances at Scott, appraisingly. Scott nods and says, "Okay, then. We have a room prepared that you can stay in. We'll give you time to adapt and meet everyone before we talk too much about integrating you into the school schedule, but, Nori, are you willing to teach music?"

"Yes, of course. If I can. I... I am not a teacher."

Charles shakes his head. "At a private school, you don't need a teaching certificate. I am sure you are more than capable of teaching music."

She shrugs. "I guess so."

"And Remy..." Scott trails off. "I suspect your role at the school will be similar to Logan's. Could you help train the students in athletics and combat?"

"_Oui_," he says.

"And perhaps you can assist me with my French class," Ororo adds.

"_D'accord,"_ Remy says with a smile.

"Wonderful," Charles says. "As to meeting the students... Noriko, I understand you feel nervous."

She looks down.

Charles continues, "It's perfectly understandable. You've suffered some significant traumas over the last year and a half. It's normal that it would be difficult for you to trust so many new people. However, many of the students will know you from your appearances in the news. They will know you both as members of the Brotherhood, and many of them will be suspicious."

He smiles kindly in response to the empathic wave of worry Nori sends out. "They will be initially suspicious, but I am confident that they will quickly grow to trust you and Remy."

"Okay," she says.

"Nori, you've made astonishing progress with your language skills. I know you feel self-conscious, but none of the students should have trouble understanding you." Hank says.

She nods.

"I think that perhaps tomorrow morning I will have a meeting with all the students and explain your unique situation," Charles says. "Perhaps with assistance from Hank?"

Hank nods. "Certainly."

"Nori, I wouldn't ask you to come stand in front of all the students at once. But I will answer some of their questions about you before you meet them. And perhaps you two can sit in on my afternoon classes and meet the students in small groups. Would that be acceptable?"

"Yes," Nori says. Remy nods.

Charles smiles. "Relax, Nori. The students here are suspicious of outsiders, but they will quickly cease to see you as outsiders. They will embrace you."

"Thank you... thank you all so much." Nori says.

"It's our pleasure," Charles says.

"Yes, I'm so glad you're staying," Ororo says.

Logan nods. Even Scott looks pleased, and Nori takes a deep breath and smiles.

Ororo holds up a shopping bag. "I put most of your new clothes in you and Remy's new room, but I brought you an outfit to change into tonight. We though you could stay tonight in your room upstairs, if you'd like."

Remy and Nori glance at each other quickly, then smile. "Yes, of course," Nori says. "Thank you."

Logan raises his eyebrows. "Ro, you went shopping for Noriko?"

"Yes," Ororo says, archly.

"Well, this should be interesting,"

Nori opens the bag and pulls out a pair of hot pink skinny jeans and a black tank top. She smiles. "I can wear this."

"After you change, I'll show you and Remy to your room," Ororo offers.

"Thanks."

"Do you have any questions?" Charles asks.

"Oh... I guess no." Nori says.

Remy shrugs.

Nori smiles at everyone and empathically sends out gratitude and a bit of shyness.

"I'll just go change and be right back," Nori says. Remy resists the urge to follow her. She comes back shortly in her new outfit, with her guitar and Scott's borrowed things packed into a canvas totebag.

"Here, Scott. Thank you for lending these to us."

Scott nods. "Of course. Let me know if you'd like to borrow any music."

"Yes, I would love to. Thanks."

Ororo takes Nori and Remy up to the third floor. They both start when the elevator opens in the middle of a richly decorated hallway.

"Where are we?" Nori whispers.

Ororo smiles. "It's... elaborate, I know. It's Xavier's family home."

Remy is mentally pricing every item in the hallway. If he and Nori ever need to leave here in a hurry, they could certainly steal enough to keep them on their feet for some time. He'd known from the equipment downstairs that Xavier's had money, of course, but this was ostentatious in a different way. But he shakes his head briefly and tries to stop thinking like a thief.

Their room is cozy. Nicely decorated, but livable. There's an empty bookcase, a desk, and a queen-sized bed with a thick green down comforter. Near the window is a soft loveseat and coffee table. Their room includes a bathroom. Ororo gestures. "Logan's next door, and I'm across the hall from him, if you need anything."

"How many rooms are there here?" Nori asks.

"I am not sure. A lot," Ororo answers.

"Thank you, Ro," Nori says.

"_Oui, merci boucoup,_" Remy adds.

"You are both quite welcome. I'll see you in the morning." She hesitates. "I'll bring some breakfast to your room, so you don't have to face the madness of the dining hall first thing," she says.

Again, they both thank her and pull the door shut after her.


	9. Chapter 9

Remy sits down on their new bed and Nori wraps her arms around his neck and sits on his lap. They share a slow, deep kiss. Remy leans in and kisses along her collarbone.

"Stop," she says. "I don't want...marks, on my neck." She knows there's a word for it but she can't remember.

"Maybe I'll leave marks where it won't show, then," he suggests. "If-if you feel up to it."

In response she smiles at him and lies back onto the bed. She starts shrugging out of her tank top and he assists her, then whistles at the black lacy bra underneath. She laughs. "From Ro."

"I like the way she shops," he says, appreciatively. She reaches up and unbuttons his shirt. He throws it to the ground and peels off his white undershirt. She grabs the back of his head and pulls his face down to kiss her. His hands move to her breasts and she moans, softly.

"Remy..." she breathes as he smoothly unhooks her bra. She reaches out to unzip his jeans and finds him hard. She strokes him and he gasps.

"Missed you so much, _cher_."

Soon they're both naked and rejoicing in their new privacy, when they both stop short.

"Check the nightstand," Nori says on a hunch.

Remy pulls open the drawer and finds an unopened box of condoms. "Bless Ro," he says.

Afterward they lie together under the heavy comforter, sated and happy. Remy strokes Nori's hair. He whispers, "_Vous êtes si belle. Je suis un homme très chanceux._"

"Hmm?" she asks sleepily.

"I love you," he says.

"Love you too. Duh."

He falls asleep with his arm around her. She lies awake much longer, enjoying his scent and his feel. Eventually she drifts off to sleep too, but wakes up terrified and whimpering a few hours later.

Remy startles. "_Cher, que s'est-il passé?_ What's wrong?" He holds her. "Shhh, shh, you're safe, what's wrong?"

She pants for breath. They hear a knock on the door and Logan calls, "Everything okay?"

"_La belle femme_ just had a nightmare," Remy replies. "She's okay."

"S-sorry," Nori calls.

"S'okay," Logan says. "See you in the morning."

She sighs into Remy's chest. "I am sick of this."

He rubs her back and murmurs to her in French. Eventually her breathing slows and she drops off to sleep. She wakes up early the next morning but stays entwined with Remy for awhile. When the digital clock shows 5:30 she decides to wake Remy, which she does by gently kissing her way down his torso. He stirs when she reaches his navel.

"Good morning to _you, cherie_," he says. She makes no answer, but continues her way southward. Afterward, she kisses him playfully on the nose.

Remy catches his breath. "Nice way to wake a man up," he says.

"I'm very nice."

"You are, at that." He rubs his hand in a gentle circle on her stomach. "You're nervous," he says.

She sighs. "Yes."

"Maybe Remy can help you relax?" he offers. She looks at him with sleepy eyes and smiles.

"Okay," she says. She gasps as he sucks lightly on her nipples, and whimpers when he starts between her legs. "God, Remy," she moans. "_Anata ga hitsuyou desu_." When he surfaces, she kisses him and tastes herself. "_Anata wo aishiteru."_

He gives her his best cat-that-ate-the-canary grin. "See, _cher?_ Today's not gonna be such a bad day."

"Guess not," she says. "God, you are sexy."

His smile broadens and he strokes her cheek.

"I need a shower," she says, squirming away.

"I'll keep you company."

She hesitates. "Okay, but quick."

They wash each other quickly and dress. Nori laughs when she sees their incredibly well-stocked closet. "Ororo is ridiculous," she says. She pulls on a pair of black leggings and a peach long-sleeved shirt dress with a wide black belt. She blow dries her hair and puts on some black eyeliner—Ororo had also supplied her with a wide variety of makeup. She slips on black ballet flats and studies herself in the mirror.

"Lovely, _cherie_. Though, if I may say so, you looked quite nice before you put all of that on..."

She elbows him and he laughs. She watches as he dresses himself in black jeans and an almost metallic cobalt blue silk button-down shirt.

"Where's your hat?" she asks with a smile.

"Maybe we'll have to go shopping," he says. "You did love that hat."

She sighs, wistfully. "It was a great hat."

There's a knock on the door, and Nori freezes. Remy gives her a half-smile and goes to answer it.

"Mornin," says Logan. "Brought you some breakfast."

"Come in," Remy says.

"Mornin', darlin,'" Logan says, sizing up Nori. "You look nice."

"Thanks," she says.

He sets the food on the desk and ruffles Nori's hair. Half her mouth tips up in exasperation, and she pats it back into place.

Logan grins at her and leans against the wall. "Say, darlin', since you two are staying here, is Xavier gonna help you get that empathy of yours under control?"

"Maybe. I have not..." suddenly, she looks up at Logan. "No!" she says, with small gasp.

He nods. She covers her mouth with her hand and dissolves into giggles.

"What's goin' on?" Remy asks.

"Oh... just seems like you two had a real nice morning, that's all."

"Sorry," Nori breathes out between laughs. "I... did not... it was not like that before."

"Oh, it ain't a problem. Just thought you should know," Logan says. He winks at Remy. "Nice work, LeBeau."

Remy laughs and says, "Thank you," before adding, "_Cher_... how wide is your range?"

She throws up her hands dramatically. "No idea. It has been different since, you know, my injury. Probably the whole house knows we fucked."

Logan shrugs. "I doubt anyone'd hold it against you two. Anyway, this kind of thing happens around here all the time."

Remy eyes Nori carefully, wondering if this is will trigger an anxiety attack. She seems to be taking it in good humor. "This kind of thing?" she repeats.

"Okay, not this exact thing," he admits. "But with a couple of—well, a telepath around... well, it can cause awkward moments. Anyway," he adds, "I'd bet most of the kids wouldn't... they probably didn't recognize what was happening. If they were felt it. Most of 'em were probably sleeping anyway."

"Eat your breakfast, _cher_. You know what Hank said."

"Whatever," Nori replies, but she picks up her brown smoothie.

Logan lifts his eyebrows. "What'd you do to piss off Hank?"

"He says I need to gain weight."

"I ain't a doctor, but I could have told you that, darlin'."

"What-ever," she says again. She rolls her eyes, but keeps drinking the peanut butter concoction. She dutifully finishes it and eats the rest of her breakfast. Logan nods approvingly.

"You two want to get outside, see the grounds?"

"Yes," Remy says immediately.

Nori projects a mixture of intense desire and fear, and Logan sighs. "You'll be fine, darlin'. Everyone's in class now. Don'tcha want to go outside?"

She twists her mouth, considering for a moment, then nods. She stacks up the breakfast dishes and glances at Logan. "Yeah, we'll drop them off in the kitchen on our way out."

After they drop off the dishes, Nori links hands with both Remy and Logan, who glance at each other over Nori's head and shrug. Both men feel protective of her, and they feel a sense of unity in it.

They step out the back door into Xavier's lawn. It's a chilly day in early spring, but the sun is shining. She sets a slow pace for them, but they don't mind. They bask in the gentle wonder she projects.

"Sunshine," she says, with a huge smile. They don't make it very far before Nori softly asks to stop. They rest on a wrought iron bench, and Nori closes her eyes and smiles to feel the sun on her face.

They spend ten minutes sitting together in silence before Nori opens her eyes and says, "Okay. What next?"

They keep walking and find some optimistic early daffodils. Delighted, Nori sinks to her knees, careful of her new dress, and puts her face in them. She hums, and Logan recognizes it as "Here Comes the Sun."

"Darlin', how many songs do you know?"

She stops humming. "Oh, my god. Hundreds? I mean, it... well, it used to be pretty much my whole life." She shrugs. "I spent hours and hours and hours listening and playing." She's feeling nostalgic now. "But this is nice too," she says, a dreamy afterthought. She gracefully rocks to her feet and again takes each man by the hand. She leads them to another iron bench and they sit. She's in a sweet mood, like the Nori Remy remembers meeting two years ago. Her empathy seems stronger and both Remy and Logan feel a little drunk on it. She sings to them, and Logan tells them stories about the students. Finally, Logan looks over at Remy's watch and says, "Hey, darlin', why don't we go in for lunch?"

Slight wariness runs over her, but she says, "Okay." She holds their hands tightly as they cross the grounds, but drops them when they get inside the mansion.

She pauses outside the door to the dining hall. Logan puts a hand on her shoulder and she flinches slightly. "It's all right, darlin'. Nobody in here is gonna hurt you."

"Okay," she says. "Okay." She follows him in. They're late, so the dining hall is already full. A few students look up at them when they enter, and those students begin whispering to their neighbors, and soon the whole room is staring at them and pretending not to be. Nori takes deep breaths and makes it to the food counter without incident. She makes a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and adds some cottage cheese to her plate after a nudge from Remy. She looks around the room and finds the teachers' table. She takes a seat next to Scott with relief.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Scott asks, with genuine concern.

"I am... okay," she says with a nod. She's still glancing around the room like a caged animal, but isn't obviously melting down. She rips the sandwich into small pieces and eats them one at a time.

Remy and Logan come join them and Nori smiles at them. Remy looks at Hank and asks, "How'd your school meeting with Xavier go over this morning?"

Hank shrugs. "Fine. The children are curious to meet you two. I think, more than anything, they are excited to have some new adults around. I think they will be interested to see how much you plan on enforcing the rules around here."

"Rules?" Nori asks.

"Oh, you know. No fighting, no texting during class, no dangerous mutant powers inside the mansion."

"Is there a list?" She sounds concerned.

Hank smiles. "I think we can find you a student handbook."

"What happens if they don't follow the rules?" Remy asks.

"Ask Scott," Hank says.

Remy looks to Scott, who shrugs. "I think the punishment should fit the crime. Usually it's cleaning up their mess. Sometimes it's an extra essay or maybe losing out on an off-campus weekend trip."

Remy nods.

"We're not like the Brotherhood," Scott says, in a low voice, and Remy narrows his eyes slightly. Nori puts her hand on his and gives him a little look, one that says, "Keep it together." So he does.

The conversation turns to lighter subjects, like the relatively warm day, and Ororo smiles serenely. Nori notices and flashes her a grateful smile in return. As soon as Nori finishes her last bite, she receives a mental call from Xavier, asking her to come to his office. Her eyes widen in surprise and Scott asks, "Did the Professor just ask you to come to his office?"

"Yes," she says. "Where is it?"

"It's on the other side of the first floor. He'll help you find it."

She glances at Remy, who shrugs. "Okay... see you later," Nori says, uncertainly. Remy squeezes her hand and she drops off her plate and slips out of the cafeteria. Sure enough, Xavier mentally guides her through the mansion, which she finds slightly unnerving.

She finds herself outside his door and knocks, which seems unnecessary. "Come in," Xavier calls out, aloud.

She looks around his office. Nori doesn't know much about antiques but she's sure this office is very finely decorated. She feels more at ease now that she's looking at Xavier's kind face. She's not sure why she was so nervous—except for her generalized anxiety.

"Please, have a seat," he says. She sits in a straight-backed, upholstered chair and crosses her legs.

_Would this be easier for you if we spoke like this? _He asks in her mind.

_I guess_, she thinks back, then realizes that it is. She smiles. Her spoken English has returned much faster than her written English, but it's still a relief not to struggle so much to spit out her words.

_I wanted to talk to you about how you are adjusting to life at the mansion._

_It's fine. Everyone's been nice to me so far._

_But a new environment is still frightening, is it not?_

_Yes._

_You've been through a lot, Nori, but the human—and mutant—pysche is resilient. Has anyone here given you particular reason to fear them?_

_No, no,_ she thinks back immediately. _Everyone here has been so kind._

Xavier nods. _Good. That's as I would have hoped, but I wanted to confirm._

She shakes her foot in a syncopated rhythm. _Professor Xavier?_ She thinks, tentatively.

_Yes?_

_Could you help me with my empathy? I... _she manages to send all of her embarrassment and confusion directly at him and he laughs gently.

_You know, Logan's extra senses make him more perceptive of such things than the average person here._

_Oh. But, still..._

_Yes, of course. I will do what I can to help you, though I confess I'm not sure how much control of it you may have permanently lost to brain damage._

_Stupid brain damage._

_Indeed. All right. May I enter your mind?_

_Aren't you already here?_

_Not quite._

_Then, yes, I guess._

She feels a stronger presence in her mind. _Whoa._

_First, I'm going to help you get a sense of how to put up a mental shield, and let you learn what it feels like when one is up. _

It's a strange sensation—almost like she's a video game that he's playing. But after twenty minutes or so of practice, she's able to put up and take down her own mental shield.

_When this is in place, it will prevent everyone from feeling your empathic projections._

_Could I make exceptions? I mean..._ she blushes, thinking of how much Remy has been enjoying her constant empathic projections, and Xavier smiles.

_Yes, although I fear that will have to wait for a future practice session. And there's no need to be embarrassed, Noriko. You should be able to share your mutant gift with your loved ones, if you choose._

_Thank you._

_You're quite welcome._

He gently breaks their mental link and says, aloud, "Well, Nori, are you ready to face my senior physics class?'

She smiles and shrugs. There's a knock at the door, and she starts.

"Come in," Xavier calls. "It's Remy," he tells her, and she relaxes. Remy's eyes light up to see her, and she smiles up at him.

"Please, have a seat," Xavier says, and Remy glides over to take a seat next to Nori. "This is a smaller class, so we just meet in my office. The students should be here soon."

Compelled by curiosity, the students all arrive to class early. Nori watches them cautiously and realizes that the students actually seem to stare more at Remy than at her. He's certainly an attractive man, but they look at him with something like fear. How vain she's been, to worry so about what the students think of her. Of course they're afraid, especially when they've seen on the news what Remy can do with a deck of cards.

"All right, class. Since you're all here, we'll start early," Xavier says. "I wanted to give you an opportunity to meet our two newest teachers, Noriko Oyama and Remy LeBeau." Remy nods at them and Nori gives a little smile and wave. "Would you two like to introduce yourselves?" Xavier asks.

Nori and Remy glance at each other, and Remy says in his smooth Cajun accent, "I'm Remy LeBeau. I am from New Orleans, and... and I am happy to be here." Nori realizes belatedly that Remy's nervous about this, too, though no one else would ever know.

"I'm Nori," she says carefully. "I'm from New York. Or Boston. I will teach music. I am happy to meet you," she finishes, with a bright smile. She decides to lower her shield and let the students feel that she is genuine.

Xavier nods approvingly. "Now, class, perhaps you can introduce yourselves to Miss Oyama and Mr. LeBeau, and then they will take questions."

Bobby Drake raises his hand to start, and Nori grins at him. "I'm Bobby. I'm from Boston, and I control ice. I'm glad you're here," he says sincerely, and Nori sees some of the students look on them a bit friendlier. Marie, Jubilee, Dani, Kitty, Piotr, and Warren introduce themselves too, and then hands shoot up for questions.

"What are your powers?" Warren asks, coolly.

"I can charge things by touching them, and then they explode," Remy says.

"Cool," Warren says. "What about you?" he asks Nori.

"Well... I project my emotions on people, and, well, I make other powers... stronger," she says, slowly.

"Other powers?" Warren asks.

"Forgive me, it is not easy to... explain. Ah, well, I do not know how it would work for your wings. But for example I could help make Professor Xavier's telepathy stronger. Or Bobby's ice. For a while."

"Oh," Warren says. "Huh." He's clearly unimpressed, and Nori smiles.

"I know," she says. "It is not as fun as flying."

Jubilee raises her hand and asks, "Miss Oyama, is it true that you know Ben Folds?"

She blinks and says, "Yes."

"Is he nice?" Kitty asks.

"Yes," Nori replies. "He is very nice. He and I toured together once. We used to make up piano and violin arrangements for songs. Um. Pop songs." She smiles.

Xavier and Remy exchange glances; neither of them know who Ben Folds is.

"Do you know any other celebrities?" Jubilee asks.

"I guess so," Nori says. "I mean not so so famous ones."

"Well, who?" Jubilee asks.

Nori smiles, "I have played with the Mountain Goats… Andrew Bird, Neko Case, the Indigo Girls? And M. I. A. and I used to live in the same building. Before she got rich."

"Awesome," Jubilee says. "Do you know Katy Perry?"

"No."

"Too bad."

Most of the kids are gazing at her with admiration now, and Nori swings her feet, a little embarrassed.

"Why were you with Magneto?" Dani asks, boldly.

"He saved me," Nori says, simply. All eyes swivel to Remy, who says, "I wanted to kill William Stryker, and he told me he did too."

Several of these students had been briefly imprisoned by Stryker, and they nod.

At the mention of Stryker, Nori mentally checks out from the conversation and she stares at the ground.

"Sorry," Dani says. "I was just curious."

"It's all right, _cher_," Remy says, gently elbowing Nori. She shakes her head and gives a small smile.

"Yes," she says, "You are right to ask."

"Is your music class going to be like _Glee_?" Jubilee asks.

"Ah... I'm not sure. I haven't really watched _Glee_," Nori admits.

"Oh my God, it's the best. We have the first season on DVD, you have to watch it with us," Jubilee says.

"Sure," Nori agrees.

"Miss Oyama, will you sing a song for us?" Rogue asks.

"Oh... well, I did not bring my guitar..." Nori says.

"Please?" Kitty asks.

"_Si vous plait_," Remy asks, giving her a look she can't say no to.

"Well... okay. But I promise I sing better with a guitar," Nori says. "You should sing along if you know it."

_I took my love, and I took it down_

_I climbed a mountain, and I turned around_

_And I saw my reflection_

_In the snow-covered hills_

_Well, the landslide brought you down_

_Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?  
>Can the child within my heart rise above?<br>Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?  
>Can I handle the seasons of my life? Oh, oh...<em>

Her voice is pure and lovely, and her empathy sends out a gentle nostalgia and affection to all the students. No one takes her up on her request to sing along.

"Wow," Kitty says after.

"My mom likes that song," Warren says. "I mean, it was good, though," he adds awkwardly.

"It's a good song," Rogue says, defensively.

"Well, um, if you like that, you should all take music class," Nori says with a smile.

Xavier laughs. "An excellent idea," he says. "Does anyone else have any questions for Mr. LeBeau or Miss Oyama?"

The kids shake their heads.

"Then, thank you for your time," he says to Remy and Nori. "Students, I trust you will treat them with the same respect you offer all of your instructors."

"Yes, professor," they chorus.

_You two may go wait in the living room or your bedroom, if you'd like. I'll let you know when my next class is about to start_, Xavier mentally tells them.


	10. Chapter 10

Nori waggles her fingers goodbye as they exit the classroom. Once she and Remy are ensconced on one of the living room couches, Nori sighs and says, "That was okay."

He squeezes her against him. "I told you that they would love you, _cher_." He laughs. "Should I be jealous of all your celebrity friends?"

She leans up and kisses him. "None of them are so sexy as you."

"Oh, so you just want Remy for his looks?"

"For everything," she murmurs. He laughs, satisfied.

"Good, because you got me, _cher_."

She laughs and sings, "_You got me, and baby I got you, hey! I got you babe."_ He looks mystified. "You know," she clarifies. "Sonny and Cher. It was funny."

He shakes his head. "I swear, your mutation must be to know all the songs in the world."

"Everyone knows Sonny and Cher," she murmurs, into his chest. She doesn't fall asleep, exactly, but she relaxes and tunes out the world for a while. She bolts to alertness when Logan pads into the living room. Remy puts a gentle pressure on her shoulder and she blushes.

"How'd it go?" Logan asks, ignoring Nori's moment of panic.

"Fine," Nori says.

Remy snorts. "I think every kid in that class is a member of her fan club now."

She rolls her eyes and Logan smiles. "Told you so."

She suddenly rattles something out in Japanese and Logan blinks and questions her in return. She nods, and Logan translates. "She says it's really hard. She used to go out and meet people all the time and now it makes her so tired."

Remy strokes her hair. "You're just out of practice, _cher_. Too much time shut away from the world."

Logan nods. "Took me awhile to get into the swing of things here. 'S different. But you'll be fine, darlin'."

She adds something else in Japanese and Logan shakes his head. "You're not self-absorbed, Noriko. You're just tryin' to put yourself back together."

"Bleh," she says. She stands up and walks over to the living room's grand piano and starts playing scales.

Remy and Logan exchange glances and shrug. After a few minutes of anxious scale-playing, Logan calls, "Well, if you're going to sit there, play us a song."

She stops playing scales and hesitantly picks out a chord. Satisfied, she starts picking out a jangly little rhythm and sings. Her voice is thick with emotion and gives the impression that it might at any moment shatter like glass.

_Sometimes I said_

_Sometimes I hear my voice and it's been_

_Here, silent all these_

_Years go by will I still be waiting_

_For somebody else to understand_

_Years go by _

_If I'm stripped of my beauty_

And the orange clouds raining in my head

_Years go by will I choke on my tears_

_Till finally there is nothing left_

_One more casualty_

_You know, we're too easy easy easy_

Both men are slightly stunned when she finishes. It had been an intensely emotional performance.

"Jesus," Logan says.

"You write that song, _cher?" _Remy asks.

She laughs and shakes her head. "Tori Amos. I listened to that song in college so many times I wore out the cassette tape. Now it is so... literal." She returns to scales. "Piano is hard," she adds, contemplatively. "Unforgiving."

"Sounds fine to me, _cherie_."

She opens her mouth to say something, then closes it and keeps playing. "Goddamn, I am unstable," she finally says. "Sorry."

Logan laughs but Remy looks solemn. "One day at a time," he says. "_Cher_, you're doing just fine. Trust me. I know unstable when I see it, and this ain't it."

Nori looks up and sees the students from Xavier's physics class passing down the hallway. Rogue stops to greet Logan, and the other girls stop when they see Nori at the piano.

"Miss Oyama, will you play another song for us?" Kitty asks.

She looks uncertain. "Will you be late? For class?"

"We have study hall," Marie says.

"Well, why not," Nori says. She hesitates. "I am not too good at piano, okay?"

Logan rolls his eyes. "She's bein' modest."

"Let's see," she says.

She plays a few chords, stumbles, and restarts "In Between Days."

_Yesterday I got so scared_

_I shivered like a child_

_Yesterday away from you_

_It froze me deep inside_

_Come back, come back_

_Don't walk away_

_Come back, come back_

_Come back today_

"That was really good, Miss Oyama," Rogue says.

"Can you guys just call me Nori?"

Rogue's eyes widen. "I'll try."

Nori keeps playing soft chords while they talk.

"Professor Xavier told us that you forgot English but you remembered Japanese and music," Kitty says.

Nori nods.

"That must be hard," Kitty says.

"I think I would take music over English," Nori says. "But English is more useful than Japanese."

"You sound fine to me," Jubilee says.

Still playing, Nori says, "Speaking is easier. Reading is hard."

"We can help you," Kitty offers. "I mean, if you want."

Nori smiles. "Thank you. That would be nice."

The girls glance between Nori and Remy and Jubilee blurts out, "So, you guys are like, dating, right?"

"I guess that depends on what _la femme_ says," Remy drawls, with a wink.

She gives him a look of exasperated fondness.

"She says maybe," Remy says with a grin.

Nori tries out a few chords, and satisfied, sings, looking right at Remy.

The book of love

_Is long and boring_

_No one can lift the damn thing_

_It's full of charts_

_And facts and figures_

_And instructions for dancing_

_But I-I-I_

_I love it when you read to me_

_And you-ou-ou_

_You can read me anything_

"You guys are, like, so cute," Jubilee says. "Are you going to get married?"

"Jubes, you can't just ask that," hisses Kitty.

Nori laughs and Remy shrugs. "We ain't in a hurry," he says.

"Why don't you kids run along to study hall?" Logan asks.

"We usually just do our homework here," Marie says.

"Oh, sorry," Nori says, taking her hands off the piano.

"It's an improvement as far as I'm concerned," Kitty says.

Nori looks at Remy. "We are... there is another class, no?"

"Professor Xavier doesn't have a class this period either," Kitty says. "He teaches Science Inquiry to the underclassmen at 3."

"In his office?" Nori asks.

"No, there's a lab. It's by the kitchen, kind of. We can show you," Kitty offers.

"Oh, I am sure the professor will show us. When it is time. I was just wondering. But thank you," Nori says, with a smile. She gets up from the piano and goes to sit between Logan and Remy. She watches the girls do their homework, and Remy rubs the back of her hand with his thumb. She sits and enjoys it for a moment, then gets up to pace around the living room. She comes back with a jigsaw puzzle, an image of Van Gogh's Starry Night. She shakes it out onto the coffee table and kneels before it, sorting through the pieces. She goes into a kind of trance over the puzzle, which everyone in the room can lightly feel. She snaps together the edge of the frame with quiet efficiency. Remy and Logan watch without comment. There's something very peaceful about it. She's about three-fourths of the way through when Xavier mentally summons her and Remy to the science lab. She tilts her head to one side and regards the puzzle, then sweeps it back into the box.

"Not gonna save that for later?" Remy asks.

She shrugs. "This world is ephemeral," she says, with a kind of reverent tone.

"What does ephemeral mean?" Rogue asks, softly.

"Temporary," Nori replies. "See you later."

She drifts out of the room, with Remy following in her wake.

"What does she mean, the world is temporary?" Kitty asks.

"She's Buddhist," Logan explains.

"And like maybe a little bit crazy," Jubilee says.

"She ain't crazy," Logan says, sharply.

"All right, just kidding," Jubilee says, with a shrug.

Down the hall, Remy says, "You seem calm."

"I was thinking of the four noble truths."

"What?"

"Number two, suffering is caused by desire."

"_Oui_? I think desire causes plenty of good things, me."

She smiles up at him. "Not that kind of desire. Well, maybe. Desire of things out of my control. I cannot control if the students like me or not, so I should not desire it. I can only control what I do."

"You said a lot, there,_ cher_," Remy says, proudly. "But that is easier said than done, _non?_"

"Always."

She walks serenely into the science lab, with a somewhat puzzled Remy by her side.

Xavier smiles at them. "It seems you had a pleasant study hall," he says.

"I did a puzzle," Nori says.

"Good," Xavier says. He tells them a little about the class. It only meets once a week, and it's all the younger kids.

"How old is the youngest?" Nori asks.

"Rahne Sinclair is 8."

"And they all have class together?"

"Yes, in this class the older students help the younger students. It is more of an opportunity to practice the scientific method than a rigorous instructional class."

"That's so nice," Nori says, absently. Remy half-wonders if she smoked up when he wasn't looking.

The younger kids prove to be slightly more nervous about Remy and slightly more charmed by Nori, especially this dreamy, extra-gentle version of her, who talks to them softly about music class and their favorite hobbies. Only a few of the oldest students seem to recognize her, and again one of them asks her to sing a song. She sings "This Land is Your Land" and she and Remy leave the classroom and head out to the garden.

"You're in a good mood, _cher,_" Remy says, happily.

"Yes," she says. "Things make more sense now. Kiss me."

He obliges. They notice some of the older students playing Ultimate Frisbee.

"Hey, come play!" Bobby Drake calls.

"You go," Nori says. "I know you want to."

Remy looks at her. "You don't want to, _cher_?"

She looks up at him with a slight ironic tilt to her mouth. "I could barely walk 20 feet this morning. You think I can play Frisbee?"

"I'll sit with you, then."

"No, love, you have too much energy. Go play," she says. "I will watch."

He bends down and kisses her forehead. "_Oui, mademoiselle._" He strips off his outer shirt and runs out to play in his jeans and white undershirt.

She sits on the grass in the lotus position and watches Remy run around with the kids. They start showing off and she smiles. She's never been with anyone like Remy. He always has so much energy, and he's always in a good mood. She wonders how it's possible. She closes her eyes and meditates, resolving to focus less on herself. She feels happier, lighter.

When she opens her eyes, Scott is standing in front of her.

"What are you doing?" he asks without preamble.

"Meditating. Oh! I didn't shield. Sorry," she says.

"No," he says, "No, it was... very peaceful. Thank you." He hesitates. "I don't know if you remember... one of the first nights after you woke up from your coma?"

"I remember."

"I just wanted to thank you for that."

She smiles. "You're welcome. Thank you for talking with me that night. I'm sorry about your fiancee," she says, and he again senses her genuine sympathy. "Come sit. Tell me your story, Scott Summers."

He hesitates, then sits on the ground next to her. "William Stryker took me when I was 16." She looks up in alarm. "But Professor Xavier came and rescued me. All of us. I was only there for a few days. And then... again, he drugged me at Alkali Lake. I fought Jean," he says, his voice heavy with grief.

She touches his arm. "How terrible."

"Yeah, I mean... it wasn't anything like what you went through."

"Of course it was. To lose control of your mind even once is terrible." Scott nods.

"How did you and Jean meet?" Nori asks. "If it's okay."

He looks at her distantly. "We met here, at Xavier's. There were only a few students then. Her, me, Hank, and Ororo. She was... so smart, and... vulnerable. Still trying to get a handle on her powers. She used to try to use her telekinesis at the breakfast table and half the time she'd spill milk everywhere." Nori smiles up at him. "And she was just so kind."

She reaches out and holds his hand. "This life," she says. "It's full of suffering."

He lets out a choked laugh. "Yeah. Maybe I should take up meditating."

"It does help. Here," she says, taking his hand. "Cross your left leg over your right. And sit up straighter. Breathe in deep through your mouth. And out through your nose. Just breathe with me." Her voice is gentle, and he might otherwise not have gone along with this, but her whole presence right now is appealingly calm and he thinks, _What the hell, can't hurt._ "Now relax every muscle in your body. Start with your toes, your fingers...wrists, ankles... your shoulders, your hips. Let them go. Breathe in... and out. Let your body be heavy." She's still guiding him through meditation when Remy comes up, sweaty from Frisbee. She holds up a hand for him to wait. She gently talks Scott out of the meditation and he smiles at her, then jerks his head when he realizes Remy is there.

"How long has he been here?" he asks, more rudely than he meant.

"Only a minute," she says, soothingly.

"Sorry, _mon ami_, I did not know I was interrupting anything," Remy says, good-naturedly.

Nori places a hand on Scott's hand. "If you want to practice more, let me know. I used to teach yoga," she says.

"Yeah. Yeah, thanks," Scott says. He nods at Remy as he walks away.

Remy sits next to Nori and kisses her.

"Mmph," she says. "How was Frisbee?"

"Good. What were you doing with Scott? Should I be jealous, _cher_?" he asks, but his tone is light.

"We were talking about Jean Grey," she says. "And then I showed him how to meditate, a little. He is so sad," she says, wistfully.

He wraps his arm around her. "I'd be sad too, _cherie_, if anything happened to you."

She raises her eyebrows. "Has nothing happened to me?"

He kisses her forehead. "Yes. And I was _très triste_, _cher_. Don't let anything happen to you again."

"Okay," she agrees. "You, too."

"Don't you worry about ol' Remy."

"I don't... much."

He winks at her. "Okay. Maybe Remy like it if you worry about him a little bit."

"Just a little." She kisses his collarbone and he gently nuzzles her face. She pulls away, reluctantly.

"Later," she says.

He sighs, melodramatically. "Very well. I believe I'm going to clean up before dinner. I will see you in the dining hall?"

"Of course." He leans forward and kisses her one last time before sauntering back into the mansion. She returns to her meditation, but has some difficulty clearing Remy from her mind. Still, she feels peaceful and happy when she walks into the dining hall. She glances around and doesn't see Remy. Unsurprising; he spends more time in the shower than she does. Logan notices her glancing around with her plate in her hand and he gives her a small wave. He's sitting with Rogue and Bobby, not the teachers, and she joins them.

Logan looks at her questioningly. "Where's the Cajun?"

"Showering, I think. He takes longer to get ready than I," she says with a smile. Logan rolls his eyes.

"I just bet he does, darlin'." She lowers her gaze to her plate, still smiling.

"How did you and Remy meet?" Marie asks.

"Oh... he and Mystique were the ones who came to warn me about Stryker."

"So he's like your knight in shining armor," Marie says, with a dreamy smile.

"Very shiny," Nori says with a smirk, but she looks happy. "So. Tell me more about the school. Do you like it here?"

"Yes," Rogue and Bobby say in unison, and they trip over each other to tell her about how cool it was to be with other mutants, how fun boarding school was, and how nice all the teachers were, usually.

She smiles and listens, piping up with occasional questions.

Finally, Rogue asks, in her soft Southern accent, "What about you? Did you like high school?"

Nori bites her lip. "I guess so. I... my parents were very strict. Mostly I just studied and played violin. So much. But I liked... hmm, I felt like I was accomplishing things. You know. An exam, check. A recital, check." She turns to look at the door, sensing Remy's prescence close. She likes the wider range of her power.

"You just went to a regular high school?" Bobby asks, calling her back to the conversation.

"No. I went to Catholic girls' school."

"Did... I mean, did it matter that you were a mutant?" he replies.

She shrugs. "I did not know."

"What?"

"My powers... I did not know. Until two years ago."

"How?" Bobby blurts.

Another shrug. "I went to school for music, not medicine," she says, as Remy sits next to her with a plate piled high. He nods in greeting to everyone.

Bobby continues, "I mean, how did you not notice? It's so... I mean, your projections are really strong."

She shakes her head. "It's different now. After I got hurt."

Marie looks at her sadly and Bobby says, "Oh. Sorry."

"No harm," she says easily.

"It does seem like your power is a lot stronger now, _cher_," Remy says. "And now it works on everyone."

"Everyone?" Bobby asks. "Like, on humans?"

Remy turns to look at Nori, who shrugs. "Are there any humans here?" she asks.

"Not usually," Bobby says.

"Anyway, what I meant was, used to be Nori's empathy only worked on mutants when they were actually using their powers. Now it's all the time, seems like."

"Yeah," Nori says, her tone unconcerned.

"Can I ask you something?" Marie asks.

"Yes."

"Were you... were you afraid of mutants? Before you found out you were one?"

"No. I always thought... I kind of wished I were one. My sister and my best friend were. Are. Mutants." She hesitates. "I was more afraid of human men than of mutants," she admits. Logan and Remy both look alarmed and she shrugs. "It's something... ah... especially because I have always been so small. Men can be so... pushy. Of my space. That scared me more than any of the mutants I knew. For years I never went anywhere without pepper spray."

"Not all men are like that," Bobby says.

"No," Nori agrees. "But not all mutants are like us."

"Yeah. I guess not," Bobby says.

Nori smiles. "So, we must all work together to create peace. Men, women, humans, mutants."

"Uh, yeah," Bobby says. A slightly uncomfortable silence settles over the table, and Nori fills it by asking Bobby about growing up in Boston. They connect over some shared places, and she tells them that her father had been a professor of economics at Harvard.

"No wonder you're so smart, _cher_," Remy says, and she narrows her eyes.

"I am not like him," she says, darkly, and no one responds to that for a moment.

"Well, then, what's your mama like?"

Now Nori smiles, luminously. "Lovely. Kind. Wise."

"Now that sounds like you," Remy says, and Nori rolls her eyes.

"You," she says, "are smarmy. Smarmy?" she asks.

Logan nods. "That's the perfect word, darlin'."

"I am wounded," Remy says. "Remy just likes to show appreciation when it's deserved." Nori shakes her head, but her empathic projections are pleased.

After dinner, they join the students to watch American Idol, a show which intrigues and horrifies Nori.

"You've never seen American Idol?" Jubilee asks.

Nori shakes her head. "My roommate and I didn't have TV."

"What did you guys do for fun?" Jubilee asks, incredulous.

She shrugs. "Played music, went out to shows and parties. Worked. I was on the road a lot. I did used to go visit a friend to watch Project Runway sometimes."

"I love Project Runway," Kitty exclaims.

"I know. I wish Tim Gunn were my friend," Nori says.

"Who is Tim Gunn?" Remy asks.

"He's the host of this other reality show, Project Runway," Kitty says.

"He's always so fashionable and reasonable," Nori says.

"Just like Remy," Remy says with satisfaction, receiving a gentle elbow to the ribs from Nori.

They watch the rest of the show. Nori says, "I don't know how I feel about this show."

"It's just for fun," Kitty says.

"Hmm," Nori says.

After the end of the program, Remy and Nori return to their room and change for bed.

Lying together, Remy says, "You were great today, _cher_."

She smiles. "It was fun. I like it here. Do you?"

"I like any place where you are, _ma mie_."

"Remy, really."

He sighs. "It is different, that is for sure. But I think I will like it here. Lots of people around. And I mean it—you seem happy here, and that makes me happy."

"Remy?"

"_Oui, ma cher?"_

"I love you."

"Love you too," he says, chuckling. It resonates through his chest and Nori feels it in her bones.

She runs her hand through his shaggy auburn hair. "I feel safe with you."

"_Oui?_ But why," he asks, bitterly. "I couldn't save you from Stryker or from the FOH."

"But you wanted to. You did not leave me."

"_Non_," he whispers. "Never. Ever since I met you... I've felt like it was my job to try to protect you." Strictly speaking, when they'd met, it _had_ been his job, assigned to him by Magneto. But it was a job he'd quickly warmed to.

"I... I know. Usually I don't like when men are... like that. But from you... it feels... genuine."

"It is."

"Everything... under all your smarmy lines... you are genuine."

He caresses her. "Don't know how to explain it, _cher_. Usually I..." he hesitates. "But you're different from other women."

"More likely to be kidnapped?"

"I s'pose you are, at that," he says, tightening his arm around her. "You're my girl, though. I'm going to do my damnedest to make sure no one else takes you from me."

"I'm yours," she murmurs, sleepily.

"I'm yours too, you know."

"Yeah?"

"'Course."

She makes a small contented sound and they fall asleep quickly.


	11. Chapter 11

In the morning she faces the dining hall with confidence. She spends her days arranging music and preparing to teach music classes. She's tutored violin students before, but the idea of teaching a whole class is a little daunting. Scott helps her find some sample lesson plans. She keeps a Japanese-English dictionary and a small notebook with her at all times to look up and keep track of written words she doesn't recognize, of which there are many.

Xavier sets up twice weekly meetings to help her control her powers and offer informal therapy sessions. They play Scrabble, which gives Nori a chance to practice making English words and gives her something to fidget with. They telepathically talk about her nightmares-which are decreasing with time, her eating habits, her depression, her feelings about Magneto and Pyro and Stryker, and he's gentle and understanding.

_Nori, I know this will be difficult for you. Please know that you can come to me at any time if you'd like to talk._

_Professor?_

_Yes?_

_Could I call my mom? I mean, would it be safe? For her?_

Surprised, Xavier nods. _Yes, of course you may call your mother. Although you are still technically wanted by the FBI, I believe that you're rather low on their priority list. Now that William Stryker is dead, I don't think your loved ones should be in any danger._

She smiles. _Could I call her now?_

_Certainly. Do you know her number?_

_Of course. Wait. Maybe not._ Her eyes widen. _It's been so long..._

_Let's look her up online,_ Xavier suggests. _And if her number is unlisted, I may... be able to access it through a back channel._ But her mother's number comes right up—she's still living in the same North Cambridge house Nori grew up in—and Nori programs it into her cell phone with a smile.

"You're welcome to return to your room for some privacy," he says aloud.

She bites her lip. "Would you mind if I stay here?"

"Go ahead, my dear." He smiles at her kindly while she dials. Nori's mother picks up and Nori hesitantly starts explaining herself in Japanese. Xavier nods at her and returns to his desk to grade papers while she talks. She cries and laughs and cries. They talk for a long time until she finally hangs up.

_How is your mother, my dear?_

_She's okay. She sounds... tired. She thought she lost both her kids._

_Would you like to visit her?_

_Could I?_

_Of course. Perhaps this weekend?_

She beams. "Thank you," she says aloud.

"Of course. Would you like for Remy to accompany you?"

She nods, a little shyly.

"I'll see that a vehicle is available to you."

Nori sends a little beam of gratitude to Xavier and he smiles. "You're quite welcome." He glances at his watch. "Please excuse me, Nori. I need to make a phone call soon."

"Of course. Thank you. For everything."

Happily, she slips out of Xavier's office and sits outside in the sun. Remy's playing basketball with the younger kids gym class and she watches from afar. After class ends, he jogs over to her. "Hey, _cher_."

"Hey, love. How was class?"

"Fun. The kids were happy to get outside. And I was, too. How was your afternoon?"

"The Professor said I could go visit my mom this weekend. And he said you could come too. If you want."

"That's great, _cher_," Remy says. He seems genuinely happy.

"So... you want to come?"

"'Course. Wouldn't want you to travel alone, _cherie_."

"I mean..." She makes a face and gently sends him an empathic projection.

He wraps an arm around her shoulder. "I don't have much in the way of family, me, but I'm happy your mama's still around. I would love to meet the woman who gave you to the world."

She laughs and tears up a little bit. "God, Remy... you're great."

"Glad you think so, _cher_."

She passes the next few days nervous and excited, and on Saturday morning Xavier gives Remy the keys to a silver BMW. He also gives them new New York IDs for Henri Chevalier and Midori Watanabe, both of 1402 Greymalkin Lane. Somehow, the fake ID makes Nori feel for the first time that she really does live at the mansion, and she smiles.

Remy drives, and she spends the nearly four-hour trip flicking through radio stations and nervously tapping the dashboard. A little outside Boston she speaks up suddenly and says, "Remy, look... if my mom doesn't like you, it'll just be because you're white, okay?"

He laughs. "I ain't worried about that. Are you?"

She shrugs. "I mean... I just want this to go well."

"And you're afraid your mama won't like it that you've taken up with street trash like me?" he says in a joking way that she knows masks a deadly sincerity.

Nori flashes white-hot anger. "Never say that! You are not trash." Remy hesitates.

"I'm sorry, _cher_. This isn't about me."

"Remy, do you really think you are street trash?" She sounds like she might cry.

"Never mind, _cher_," Remy says softly.

"You listen to me, Remy LeBeau," she says, fiercely. "You are kind, and brave, and clever, and, and I love you so much. I love you more for having gone through what you went through and coming out the man you are."

"Never seen you so angry," he says, slightly wonderingly.

"You idiot," she says, fondly. "Of course it makes me mad when people insult the man I love. Take the next exit."

He smiles. "_Oui, mademoiselle._" Nori's anger dissipates as she navigates Remy through the tangle of roundabouts and one-way streets.

"Well, this is it," she says, indicating a modest one-story house. The siding is faded and the grass looks a little shaggy. Remy parks the car and Nori slips her hand in his. She rings the doorbell and they stand on the porch for a few nervous moments. Then the door opens, revealing a small Japanese woman who appears to be in her mid-60s. She's wearing navy polyester slacks and a white polo shirt, both of which are too big for her. She and Nori embrace and cry.

Then her mother looks nervously at Remy. "Who is your friend?" she asks, with a thick accent.

Nori smiles. "_Oka-san_, this is Remy LeBeau. Remy, this is my mother, Misaki Oyama."

Misaki bows slightly, and Remy says, "_Enchante, Madame _Oyama."

Misaki looks confused, and Nori translates and further explains that Remy speaks French and English. Misaki looks at him suspiciously, but says, "Come in, come in. Tea?"

Nori squeezes Remy's hand and says, "We'd love some."

They follow her into the living room. "Sit," Misaki says.

"No, I'll help you, mom," Nori says. "We'll be back soon, Remy." He nods and starts looking around the living room. It's blanketed with photos of Nori and her sister. Tiny Nori holding a tiny violin. Yuriko working her way up through a series of colorful belts. Nori and Yuri beaming on the beach. Nori and Yuri graduating from college.

Nori and her mother reenter the room with three delicate teacups and a plate of cookies.

"Thank you," he says, receiving the cup. He doesn't usually like tea, but he's grateful to have something to do with his hands.

He and Nori sit together on a threadbare loveseat, while Misaki sits on a straight-backed wooden chair next to Nori. Nori and Misaki speak in rapidfire Japanese, and both cry. Remy holds Nori's hand. He feels like he's intruding on a private moment, but he doesn't actually understand what's happening. He tries to catch Nori's eye to see if she wants him to stay. Her emotional projections are all over the place, and he can't really tell what she's feeling. Finally, he decides that she would ask him to leave if she wanted him to. He continues to glance around the room, looking at Nori's family history laid out for him to see. Remy doesn't have any photos from his childhood, which is probably for the best.

Suddenly—well, suddenly from Remy's perspective—Nori begins to include Remy in the conversation.

"I told my mom that you saved me, and she says thank you."

He grins tightly. "I didn't save you, _cher_. Magneto did. And the X-Men did."

"They saved my body. You saved me," she says, quietly, intensely. He nods.

"Well, tell her it was my pleasure."

She smiles and translates. Next, Misaki asks Remy to take off his sunglasses.

"She says eyes are the windows to the soul," Nori says.

Remy hesitates, then slides them off. He wonders if he should have put in contacts. Misaki peers into his eyes and nods. "You are a good man," she says.

Remy smiles. "Thank you." Misaki bows slightly, and Nori seems relieved. Misaki stands up and comes back with an enormous photo album. Remy's surprised the slight woman can even carry it. Nori pats the loveseat and Misaki squeezes in next to them. Together they pore over the album. All the photos have carefully-written captions. Unfortunately for Remy, they're in Japanese. Nori points out highlights to Remy. "That was my first violin recital... this was a trip to Vermont to look at the leaves... this was us after our Japanese tea ceremony class at the community center..." Then she whispers, "Sorry if this is getting boring, but it's important to my mom..."

"Not boring at all, _cher_. It's my favorite topic."

She looks up at him through her eyelashes and smiles. "Ugh, how do you get away with saying stuff like that? So cute."

Misaki is waiting for them to finish talking. She smiles and says, "You are good together." Nori squeezes her mother's hand. The photo album progresses, showing high school graduations, college recitals, Yuri's wedding. After Aiko's birth, the photo album is swollen with baby pictures, toddler pictures, Nori and Yuri and Yuri's husband Ken all posing delightedly with little Aiko. Occasionally a short, skinny white guy with thick black plastic glasses appears with Nori.

"Who's that?" Remy asks.

"Lee. My... most recent ex-boyfriend," Nori whispers. Misaki hears and shakes her head. She tells Nori something in Japanese and Nori laughs. "She said she likes you more than 'that one.'" Nori's empathy sends out glowing happiness, and Remy smiles. Then the album abruptly ends after Aiko's sixth birthday. Nori and her mother chat about Aiko. Nori pulls Remy into the conversation.

"She says we should see Aiko, but I'm not sure... if it would be a good idea."

"You miss her, right?" Remy says.

"Obviously, but I mean... for her safety. And, I don't know, it would be such a shock..."

Remy shakes his head. "_Cher_, if she's in danger, it's because of who her mama was. That's already on file. And I am quite certain that any shock she felt about your return would be more than matched by happiness." She purses her lips and translates for her mother, who nods emphatically. Nori rocks her head back and forth and offers a quiet reply. Her mother snorts.

She turns to Remy. "She says Aiko and Ken were coming down for brunch tomorrow and we should stay. Is that okay with you?"

"'Course it is, _cher_. If that's what you want." She sags a little, then straightens her shoulders and says, "Yes." She smiles at her mother and tells her that they'll stay.

"I'll call Xavier," Remy offers.

"Thanks, love." He hears them chatter in Japanese as he walks away. He's pleased with the way things are turning out for her. Xavier sounds happy that Nori and her mother are having a good time. He cautions Remy that they must be careful about what her niece and brother-in-law tell people about the school, and he promises they will.

When he comes back, Nori and her mother give him a tour of the house. It doesn't take long. There's a kitchen and one and a half bathrooms. Nori nods at a closed door and says, "That was my father's study." They don't open it. Neither do they enter Misaki's bedroom, but they do enter Nori and Yuri's old room. "It's basically exactly how it was when I left for college," Nori says, sheepishly. Remy grins at it. It's extremely tidy. There's a bookshelf with a lot of SAT and AP study guides, neatly-labelled binders, and several trophies. Very little in the way of pleasure reading. A music stand is out with sheet music still on it. There are two twin beds, both with pale pink comforters. The walls are almost entirely given over to framed certificates, ribbons, and medals.

Remy whistles. "Were there any prizes you girls didn't win?"

Nori shrugs, and her mother smiles broadly and says something in Japanese. Nori rolls her eyes. "She says we were good students but we could have worked harder."

Indignantly, he says, "_Cher, _that is—" but she shakes her head tightly.

"Don't, Remy," she hisses. "Later."

Misaki narrows her eyes slightly and speaks quietly to Nori, who nods and tells Remy, "We're going to make dinner. You stay here and don't make trouble," she says, with a small smile.

"Of course, _cher_," he says.

Misaki gives Remy a small bow as she leaves the room, and he returns it. Nori blows him a kiss behind her mother's back and slinks out after her. Remy paces around the small room and examines all the awards. Something about Nori's family doesn't sit quite right with him. He wants to know why Nori never speaks about her father. There weren't any pictures of the man in the huge family album. But he is glad that her mother seems to like him. He pulls Cracking the SAT off the shelf and notices the book is highlighted and marked up in Nori's precise handwriting. It's hard to imagine a childhood more opposite his own.

He feels Nori's amusement before he looks up and sees her standing in front of him. "That bored?" she asks.

"Curious," he says. "I never took the SAT."

"Lucky you." She stands there a moment looking lost and he sets the book down, stands up and hugs her. She says nothing but wraps her arms tightly about him. "So glad you're here, love," she says. "Hey. Shit. Do you know how to use chopsticks?"

"Ah... no. Is that a problem?"

She grabs two pencils from a jar on the bookshelf and says, "Here. You're good with your hands. Watch." Normally he would make a double entendre, but she seems determined, so he keeps quiet and watches her demonstration. "Now you try."

He mimics her movements and she nods. "Yes. Great. Don't move the bottom one. God. I owe you."

He returns the pencils to the jar and says, "I can think of a few ways you can pay me back, _cher_."

She laughs and grabs his ass. "I bet you can. Let's go eat."

When they return to the kitchen Misaki says something sharp to Nori, who shakes her head and responds softly. Remy glances at her questioningly and she shakes her head almost imperceptibly. They eat thick noodles and vegetables, and Remy's thankful for the crash course in chopsticks, since no other utensils are on the table.

"This is Noriko's favorite," Misaki tells Remy.

"It's good," Remy says, and it is, though he wishes it were spicier.

As if reading his mind, Nori says, "Oh, I forgot." She gets up from the table and comes back with a half-full bottle of red sauce with a rooster on it. "It's like Tabasco, but better," she says, shaking some into her noodles and passing the bottle to Remy. Her mother shakes her head slightly at the amount Remy uses. It is spicy, but nothing Remy's Cajun tastebuds can't handle.

"So. What your job?" Misaki asks Remy.

"Ah... I teach physical education," Remy replies. Nori offers a quick translation and Misaki nods and replies. Nori sighs.

"She says, um, she says at least you're not an artist."

Remy swallows a bite of noodles and glances at her. Her face is perfectly composed but she's projecting amusement and annoyance and fondness. "I won't tell her you're a con artist," she says, softly, with a perfectly mischievous grin aimed only at him. She composes her face again and tells her mother something in Japanese.

After dinner, Remy helps Nori do the dishes after a quick exchange between Nori and her mother.

"What was that about?" Remy asks.

"She said you were a guest and you shouldn't help, but I said you were family and you would help." Remy feels a warm glow and he looks down at the plate he's drying to hide his grin.

"_Cher_, has your mama always been like this?" he asks, softly.

"Actually she has mellowed out a lot since my dad died."

"_Mon dieu_."

"It's... it's complicated, love." She puts the dishes away and says, "Let's go watch the news with my mom. She'll go to bed afterward and then, um, I can explain, maybe." She runs her hand over his and drops it. He follows her out of the kitchen without touching her. They sit through the news and, as promised, Misaki goes to bed immediately afterward. Nori leads Remy back to her old bedroom and sits down on the bed closest to the music stand. He sits next to her and wraps his arm around her. She sighs. "So, okay, I guess... it wasn't really until I got to college that I learned how strict my family was by Western standards. But my parents, they are just very traditionally Japanese. And especially my dad... he was so, so controlling. He hardly let my mom out of the house. She's been in this country for 40 years and she still doesn't know English that well because he didn't think she needed it." He feels her anger ripple off of her.

"Anyway, um, so... I know my mom seems harsh. But it's just how she shows her love. She doesn't want us to be vain, so she never gives a whole compliment. And in school..." she sighs. "They really did just want what was best for us. But when I tried to pursue rock music... my dad didn't talk to me. I mean at all. My mom would call me in secret and tell me about symphony auditions. And then dad died and Yuri disappeared and..." She stops and shakes her head violently. "Anyway, that's my family."

"Well, you turned out all right, _cher_."

She laughs and shakes her head. "You say that because you met me after ten years of therapy. But I guess it must sound pretty petty to you, huh?"

He rubs his hand up and down her back. "No," he says, honestly. "Don't think I'd trade my childhood for yours."

"What was your childhood like? I know you said you were with the Thieves Guild..."

He shrugs. "It... it was fun. I liked being a t'ief," he confesses, softly. "It was like a game. A game I was good at. And in New Orleans, it was warm... didn't matter so much if you had to sleep a night on the street. 'Specially once my power manifested and I could defend myself."

She takes one of his hands and massages it. He lets out a little sigh, and she says, "How are your hands doing, anyway?"

"Fine. Little stiff, sometimes."

"Is this good?" Her fingers are strong and capable.

"Heaven," he sighs. She works on his hand for a long time, then takes the other one.

"Let me know when your hands are sore, okay? I know a thing or two about hand pain."

"I absolutely will," Remy says.

"Good. Let's get some sleep, love. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be... rough." She strips down to her panties and camisole and carefully folds her jeans and sweater. They hadn't packed overnight clothes. Remy peels down to his boxers and glances at Nori questioningly.

"Come sleep with me," she says, almost pleadingly. "We'll both fit. And what my mother doesn't know won't hurt her."

"Don't have to ask me twice, _ma mie_." He curls around her and she gives a happy sigh. The bed is narrow, but the two of them fit in it, nestled together like spoons. Neither of them fall asleep quickly, but they lie together in silence. Remy's feeling anxious. Some of it's spillover from Nori, and some of it is from the strangeness of being in this home, his lover's mother's home... it's been a long time since he's had to worry about this kind of thing. Eventually they both fall into a fitful sleep for a few hours. Remy dreams... he's in Stryker's terrible base at Three Mile Island, and Nori is there too, but he can't see her, he can only hear her crying... he wakes up frantically, and he feels Nori's small, tough hands on him and hears her whisper, "Hey, shhh, shhh, it was just a dream, you're okay." She sits up and pulls his head into her lap. She strokes his hair and sings him a soft lullabye. Grateful and embarrassed, he falls asleep again, more soundly this time.

In the morning, he wakes up to Nori absently stroking his hair. She has a mental shield up, and he frowns. She hardly ever shields from him. "What's on your mind, _cher?_"

She drops the shield and he sighs as a strong wave of worry hits him. "Just... I... really love my niece, and I... hope she can forgive me. And, Yuri's husband, Ken... we never exactly saw eye to eye. And... they still don't know what happened to Yuri. And I guess I have to tell them." Her pain spikes into Remy now and he reaches up and and lays his hand on hers as it traces through his hair.

"Can't go around it," Remy says. "Y'have to go through it. You can do it, _cher_. I'll be with you."

Her pain fades slightly and picks up a tinge of love. "I know," she says. She bends down and kisses him lightly. "Let's get up," she says. "My mom has probably been heating and re-heating water for tea for two hours now."

They dress in their clothes from the previous day and head down the hall to the kitchen, where Misaki does indeed have water for tea ready. She says something in Japanese, which Nori doesn't translate, although her empathy tells him she's mildly annoyed. They drink tea, and Nori helps her mother roll vegetable sushi while Remy watches.

The doorbell rings around 11, and Nori's whole body goes rigid. He stands behind her and puts a hand on her shoulder supportively, and the three of them walk to the door. Misaki opens it, revealing a stocky Japanese-American man and a thin Japanese-American girl. Both of them are taller than Nori and Misaki. Remy estimates the man to be 5'8 and the girl to be 5'5. Ken and Aiko stare at Nori and Remy for a long moment, and Ken says something in Japanese, angrily. Nori responds, and Ken counters with something that makes Nori take a step backwards as if she's been slapped. Aiko gasps and says, scoldingly, "Dad!" Aiko walks forward and embraces Nori.

"He's been different, since mom disappeared..." Aiko says, apologetically. "I'm so glad to see you, Auntie."

Nori relaxes a little and says, "I missed you every day, sweetie." Ken says something in Japanese, and Nori waves her hand back and forth and replies. Her tone is quiet, but firm, and Ken grimaces and goes to sit on the loveseat with Misaki.

"Aiko, this is Remy," Nori says. "Remy, Aiko."

"_Enchante_," Remy says, smoothly. "I've heard a lot about you, _cherie_."

Unimpressed, she replies, "My name is Aiko, not _cherie_. And I've heard a lot about you, too, Gambit."

"Aiko," Nori says. "You know I wouldn't have brought him here if he would hurt you. Remy saved me. I don't care what they say in the news. He is a good man."

Aiko shakes her head a little. "I know, Auntie. I'm sorry. I just... it's just been hard." She looks at Remy. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Remy." She offers her hand. Remy shakes it rather than kissing it.

"Just Remy is fine, if I may call you Aiko?"

"You may," she replies. "Let's go sit in the kitchen."

The three of them walk past Misaki and Ken and sit at the kitchen table.

"So, ah, may I inquire as to what happened with Ken?" Remy asks.

Nori's empathy sends out a black cloud, and Aiko says, "He was really mean to Aunt Nori. Well, and you, but I guess you didn't understand so I don't know if it counts.. And she told him she'd talk to him about it in half an hour."

Remy laughs. "So it's not just me she does that to?"

"No," Aiko says seriously. "Aunt Nori puts everyone on a thirty-minute timeout, even herself. She says it prevents a lot of fights."

"It does," Nori says. "It's no good to keep talking when tempers are hot. Best to let them cool." She sighs. "Aiko, you're so tall! Like your mom."

"Only you would call mom 'tall,'" Aiko says.

"Well, she was taller than me."

Aiko's eyes flash at the use of past tense. "Auntie... do you know what happened to mom?"

Nori's eyes tear up and she reaches across the table and takes Aiko's hand. "Aiko, my love... she... she's dead."

Aiko quietly weeps and Nori hands her a paper towel. "How... how did she die?" Aiko asks finally, sniffing.

Nori shakes her head. "She... William Stryker killed her."

Aiko's eyes narrow at that. "He's the same man who kidnapped you?"

"Yes."

"Are they ever gonna catch him?" Aiko asks.

"He's dead now, too," Nori says. Remy wraps his arm around her.

Aiko nods. "And it's all true? The things you've been saying online and in the news?"

"Yes. Of course."

"I knew it," Aiko says, sniffling. "You're the worst liar, Auntie, I knew the things you said were true."

Remy and Nori both laugh. "Well, I got that going for me," Nori says.

"Are you okay, Auntie? What did they do to you?"

Nori looks down and shakes her head. "I'm okay, Aiko. I'm better now that you're here."

Aiko smiles. "I missed you so, so much. Are... are you still with..." she drops her voice to a whisper, "Magneto?"

"No," Nori says.

"Are you?" she asks Remy.

"No," he says. "I'm with her," he says, indicating Nori with a graceful tilt of his head.

Aiko accepts this with a nod. "Okay. Good. Magneto's kind of scary."

Nori sighs. "Yes, he is. But he isn't all bad, you know."

"I didn't think he was. Not if you were with him," Aiko says, loyally.

Ken and Misaki walk back into the room. Remy glances at Nori, but she looks and feels calm.

"Well, let's eat," Misaki says. Ken murmurs something to Nori in Japanese, and she smiles and responds gently. While they eat, Nori, Ken, and Misaki chat in Japanese. Ken starts crying, obviously having heard the news about his wife. Aiko gets up to hug her father briefly, then sits back down and rolls her sushi around her plate.

She looks at Remy. "You don't speak Japanese, right?"

"No," he admits.

"This must be weird for you."

He shakes his head. "I've seen much weirder things."

Aiko smiles. "You like Aunt Nori a lot, don't you?" At the mention of her name, Nori glances at Aiko, half-smiles, and turns back to her conversation with Ken and Misaki.

"I do," Remy replies.

"Good. She likes you a lot too. I can tell."

Remy flashes a huge grin. "_Oui?_ And how can you tell that?"

"I just can," Aiko says.

"You know, your aunt cares about you a whole lot," he says. "She's always talking about how smart and funny and pretty you are."

Aiko smiles, and Nori ducks back into their conversation. "What are you two talking about?" she asks.

"You," Aiko says.

"Good things, I hope."

"Of course," Aiko says. "Don't fish for compliments."

Nori grins. "Aiko, I missed so much time... what have you been doing the last two years? Are you in fifth grade now?"

"Yeah," Aiko says. "It's okay. I play soccer, and I'm center forward. Our team's pretty good. My friend Marissa is the team captain."

"That's great! What's your team called?"

"We're the Wildcats."

"Is that the school team?"

"No, it's through the park district. The school team is only for junior high kids."

Remy watches with a big smile as Nori and Aiko chat about the mundane suburban details of Aiko's life. This is what Nori needs, and what she deserves, he thinks. He has spaced out of the conversation and is only playing attention to Nori's happy projection, but he's called back into the present when Nori loudly says, "What?"

He glances at her, but she seems happy, if a little indignant.

"I said it," Aiko says. "I like Ke$ha more than Lady Gaga."

"Please, Aiko, you're embarrassing yourself. Gaga is a genius."

"Lady Gaga's too weird."

Nori shakes her head. "Ke$ha spells her name with a dollar sign and Gaga's too weird?"

"She went to the Grammys in a giant egg!"

"She did what? God, I love her."

"Didn't you see the Grammys?"

"I think I was in a coma then."

"Oh. Sorry."

"NBD," Nori says. Remy is not following the conversation at all. She glances at him and says, "It means No Big Deal."

"Right," Remy says.

"Wait," Aiko says. "Have you even seen Gaga's new video?"

"Not Alejandro?"

"No, Born this Way. It's so dumb, Auntie. There's a unicorn in it."

"Are you _kidding_? I love her."

"Yeah, and she, like, rides a space crystal. And her hair looks like a Pope hat."

Nori's smile is about as big as Remy has ever seen it as she says, "God, Aiko, you are describing the best video ever. I cannot even wait to watch it."

Then Ken calls out sharply in Japanese and Nori turns back to him. Aiko joins in too. It sounds tense, and Nori grabs Remy's hand under the table. "We're talking about whether or not to have a funeral for Yuri," she whispers. He squeezes her hand sympathetically. Nori's voice grows steely and he wonders what she's advocating for. Soon, everyone else at the table is crying again. Remy strokes Nori's hand lightly.

Nori wipes her face with the back of her other hand and says, "Remy, would you please help me clean up?"

"Of course, _cherie_."

Most of the food has gone untouched and Nori puts it into Tupperware. "Everything okay, _cher_?" he asks.

"No. I don't know. It's fine."

He laughs. "Which one?"

"All of them. We're going to have a memorial service for Yuri. A small one. I... I think it'll be fine. I just... I'm just scared. Of what might happen."

He scrubs a plate and says, "I'm sure some of the X-Men would go. Keep an eye on things."

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right. That would be okay." She shakes out her hands in a fluttery gesture. "It will be okay." After the kitchen is cleaned up, Nori and her family have a short, terse conversation, and then Nori hugs her mother and niece goodbye. Aiko hugs Remy too, and then Nori and Remy leave.

"God, Remy, I'm so glad you came with me," Nori says.

"Happy to help, _cherie._"

She starts flicking through radio stations without even really listening to any of the songs. "Aiko's great, isn't she?"

"She's real cute. And smart. Like her aunt."

Nori laughs. "Oh, you," she says.

"Oh, I what?"

"You are endearing."

"_Merci_." Nori smiles, more or less content with the state of her family affairs.


	12. Chapter 12

As they drive, Nori tells Remy more about the memorial plans. Suddenly, Remy loses control of the car. "_Merde,_" he swears.

"What?" she asks. "Wait, where are you going?" The car is pulling itself down an exit ramp.

"Not me, _cher_. The car's got a mind of its own."

"Magneto?" she asks.

"Looks that way," he says. He reaches in his pocket for his cards. Nori closes her eyes and reaches out with her power. "Yes, he's nearby. And Pyro too." She's... nervous, but a little hopeful. Remy considers exit strategies. They could probably tuck and roll out of the car, but they're still going pretty fast and it wouldn't be pretty. Especially not for Nori, who he's sure has never attempted that particular trick. He doesn't think Magneto bears them any especial animosity, but who knows? They did desert him. The car comes to a stop at the far end of a rest stop parking lot. A single black car is in the spot next to theirs; the next nearest car is at least twenty feet away.

Nori looks sidelong at Remy, and they both shrug and step out of the car and up onto the sidewalk. Remy carefully stands next to, and slightly in front of Nori.

"They're in that car," Nori says. "What do you think they're waiting for?"

"Don't know. Probably just want us to squirm." Nori rolls her eyes.

"Magneto's such a drama queen," she mutters. "Hey! Are you guys coming out or what?" she calls, with a pretty shake of her hair.

After another moment, the car's doors swing open and Magneto steps out of the driver's side. Pyro sullenly trails behind.

"Echo, my dear, it's nice to see that you have recovered so well," he calls out in his familiar, commanding voice.

"Thank you."

"It's funny Charles never thought to mention that little fact to me."

Nori looks down for a split second, then raises her chin and meets Magneto's eyes. "Erik... we're staying with Xavier," she says. "I really appreciate everything you did for me. But... you have to understand that I can't stay with you any longer. I... I fit in better, there." Her empathy floats out, sad and honest and a little nervous.

Magneto narrows his cold, blue eyes. "And you, Gambit? Do you think you will fit in with Xavier and his naive followers?"

"_Oui,_ Magneto, I do."

Magneto laughs. "Then either you are severely overestimating them, or I have overestimated you. Come now, do you really think you will be happy with those _children_? Do you really think they'll have you, once they know what you are?"

Remy stands straighter. "I do."

Nori approaches Pyro, who looks at her warily, Zippo in hand. She glances at it, then smiles at him. "I miss you, Pyro," she says, softly.

"Fuck you, traitor," he says.

"It doesn't have to be like that," she says.

"I thought you liked it with the Brotherhood," he replies, bitterly and maybe pleadingly.

"I did. But, Pyro, you know me. I'm a lover, not a fighter," she says with a small smile.

"Well, you must be a really good lover to get Gambit out of the Brotherhood," he sneers.

She regards him for a moment, her head tilted. "I am," she says. "And I miss you. I wanted you to know. Be well, Pyro." She turns and walks back to Remy.

"So, what," Remy says. "You pulled us over to to get our change of address cards?"

Magneto narrows his eyes. "Knowing what you know about the Brotherhood, why should I let you live if you choose to join with our enemies?" Two metal spikes rise up next to Magneto. Pyro's eyes widen, and Remy whips out his staff and instantly positions himself in front of Nori. Her empathy shines suddenly, calm and brave and stronger than Remy's ever felt it, and the spikes fall to the ground. Magneto looks surprised, and Remy thinks it's the first time he's ever seen that emotion on his former boss's face.

"Get in the car," she tells Remy, but he doesn't move. "Erik, please. We don't want any trouble. Live and let live. Okay? Remy, get in the _car_," she says, and she steps out behind him and gets in the passenger side. Somewhat stunned, he joins her and they drive away.

"What was that, _cherie_?" he asks.

"I, um, I think my powers can work backwards now," she says. "I made his power weak. Too weak to use those spikes. Do you think he was really going to kill us?"

"I don't know, _cher_. I think that if Magneto really wanted us dead, we would be dead. But I sure as hell don't think he saw that coming. How long have you known you could do that?"

"I don't know. I just had this moment of... clarity. I could see his energy and it just flashed to me that I could take it down instead of taking it up." She's shaking her foot. "I think I took his energy. And Pyro's. I feel like I just did coke or something."

He bursts out laughing. "_Cherie_, when did you ever do coke?"

"Like twice. At parties. Whatever, you're not my mom, okay."

"Just curious."

"I'm hungry," she says, tapping the dashboard. "Can we get ice cream?"

Still laughing, he says, "Sure thing." They stop at a Dairy Queen and Remy gives himself over to the pleasure of watching her eat a large chocolate cone. She smirks and begins exaggerating her performance. She eats the whole thing, impressing Remy. "Still hungry, _cher_?"

"Yes," she says, and she sits up on top of the picnic table, bends down, and kisses him hard. She tastes like chocolate and exuberance. He kisses back, enjoying himself. Reluctantly, he pulls away. "We'd better get back to the mansion, _ma mie_."

She pouts and licks her lips clean, but follows him back to the car.

"You're something else, _cher,_ you know that?"

"Yes."

They make it back to the mansion and find Xavier to tell them what happened. Xavier frowns. "Well, he certainly knows where the mansion is if he ever wants to start something. But I doubt he will. Nori, I'm interested in this new development of your power. Perhaps tomorrow Hank and I can run some tests on you in the lab."

"Sure," she says.

"And Nori?" 

"Yes?"

"How did things go with your family?"

She shrugs. "Families are complicated."

"Indeed." He gives her a long look, and she expands.

"It was fine. I think we will have a memorial service for Yuriko soon. A small one. I... I didn't know if it was a good idea. But my mom and brother-in-law are pretty set on it."

Xavier nods. "It's important for them—and you—to have closure. I do not believe it would be a significant security risk for your family to hold a small ceremony. If you like, I'm sure the X-Men would attend—both to support you and your family, and in case anyone does want to stir up trouble."

"Yes. Thank you."

Xavier, picking up on Nori's nervous energy, says, "Well, we can discuss that matter in further depth tomorrow. Good night. I am glad you both returned safely."

"Night, Professor."

"_Bonsoir."_

Nori and Remy stop by the kitchen on their way back to their bedroom, and a still-hungry Nori grabs a jar of creamy peanut butter. She puts up a mental shield before Remy helps her devour it, and him. They fall asleep sated and sticky and happy to be alive. In the morning, Logan takes a deep sniff outside their room and shakes his head. "I don't wanna know," he mutters.


	13. Chapter 13

Nori has some tense phone conversations over the coming week to prepare for Yuriko's memorial service. She stresses to her mother and brother-in-law that it must be low-key. They reserve the temple under a false name, and only a select handful of non-family members are notified.

With Xavier's permission, she invites her old friend Rachael over to the mansion, hoping she'll perform a song with Nori at the memorial. Remy is interested to meet Nori's old friend, though he doesn't really know what to expect. He sits on the front steps of the mansion with Nori at the appointed time. She jumps up when a beat-up blue Volkswagen Rabbit pulls into the circle driveway. A tall, curvy woman with a patterned scarf wrapped around her head steps out of the car. She's graceful, like a dancer. As she approaches, Remy notices her brilliant green eyes, accented by heavy green eye makeup.

"Rae!" Nori calls out.

"Kiki?" the woman replies. "Oh my God." She sweeps the smaller woman into a hug, which they hold for a long time.

Finally, Nori pulls back and introduces them. "Rachael, this is Remy LeBeau. Remy, this is Rachael Shapiro. We've been friends since college."

"_Enchante_," Remy says, kissing her hand. Rachael pulls it away.

"Uh, hi," she says, glancing at Nori, who shakes her head minutely.

"Remy's a little old-fashioned," she says, brightly. She squeezes his hand. Rachael looks at them skeptically, but decides not to dwell on it.

"Okay, well... girl, you have to fill me in on everything," Rachael says. "I mean, I thought you were dead... and then you started showing up on YouTube... and Yuri's dead? I didn't think _anything_ could kill her."

Nori sighs. "Let's go take your stuff up to one of the guest rooms. And you can take your scarf off. You're among friends."

Rachael hesitates, then unties the scarf. Her hair is a bright green. And, Remy realizes, it doesn't quite look like human hair. More like... grass? Vines? He tries not to stare. Rachael pulls a Hello Kitty backpack out of the car and hands it to Nori. "This is some stuff of yours that I thought you might want. And, of course, Henrietta," she says, handing her a violin case.

Nori beams. "Oh, how I missed her."

Rachael pulls out a green backpack and puts it on her back. Then, almost shyly, she pulls out an oil painting. It's about 3 feet wide by 2 feet tall, and it depicts a crow in flight, high above a gray cityscape.

"I brought this for you... since you... left, all I can do is paint crows, it seems..." Rachael says quietly.

"Rae... it's beautiful. Thank you."

Nori stands on her tiptoes and gives Remy a quick kiss. "Love, why don't you take this stuff to our room?" She hands him the backpack and painting.

"Of course, _cherie_. You know where to find me if you need me. And it was a pleasure to meet you, Rachael," he says with a nod to Nori's friend.

"Likewise," she says.

The three of them walk inside the mansion, and Nori, holding her violin like a talisman, leads Rachael upstairs to one of the second-floor guest rooms.

As soon as Remy's out of sight, Rachael says, "Oh my god, Nori, are you _dating_ that guy?"

"I know he can be a bit much... but I love him."

"I mean, he kissed my hand... what the hell?"

"I know, I know. But... look, he's really special, okay? He's been with me through a lot."

"Or he's taking advantage of your emotionally vulnerable state."

"Rae... let's not talk about Remy right now, okay?"

"Okay. Okay. Sorry. So tell me, where have you _been_? Have you been here this whole time? Because these are some amazing digs."

"I wish," Nori says. "Let's go outside and talk." They find a seat on an iron bench in the gardens, and she tells Rachael an abbreviated version of her adventures with Magneto, Stryker, the FOH, and the X-Men.

Rachael's eyes are full of tears by the end of the story. "God, girl, I had no idea. I... I was mad at you for a long time, I... I didn't know why you hadn't called, or..."

"I tried to send you a letter. Magneto _told_ me he sent it. But I guess I shouldn't have trusted him."

"I'll say."

"I know, I know... but you don't know, Rae, he's so... charismatic."

"Like your Remy?"

"Kind of... but Remy has like a warm, energetic charisma. Erik's is like... cold and electric." She shivers.

"Erik? You're on a first name basis with Magneto?"

"I mean, we lived in the same house for a long time. He's not evil, you know?"

Rachael shakes out her hair. She looks down and realizes that all the grass in a five-foot radius around the two of them has died. "Oops," she says, and closes her eyes. It revives. "Okay, so, what? Are you going to stay at this school forever?"

"I don't know. For awhile. I like it here. I like the kids. I'm teaching them music."

Rae frowns. "Kiki... you could do so much more than teach music to a handful of rich high school kids. You are a brilliant musician."

"Maybe. But, Rae... I just... I just don't feel safe in the world anymore. I feel safe here. And these kids, they're not all rich, okay? A lot of them don't have anywhere to go. They need people here, to care about them."

"Okay, I mean... I get that. I do." Nori gently projects calm and love at Rachael, who shakes her head slightly. "And since when have you been able to do that?"

"I guess a couple years. I don't know. It turns out anti-depressants cancel it out, so, who knows? And it's been weird... stronger, like, since I got my head kicked in."

Rachael laughs a little at Nori's bluntness. "Okay, well... I guess I'm up to speed." She sighs. "I'm sorry if I've been bitchy. This is just... a really big shock." She hugs her friend. "Did I tell you I'm glad you're alive? Because I am."

Nori smiles. "I'm glad I'm alive too. Now, let's go inside. I think you'll like the school's piano."

In the living room. Rachael smiles broadly at the beautiful Steinway. Nori reverently opens her violin case and carefully tunes it and plays a light warmup. Logan enters the living room, likely drawn by Nori's joyful mood, and smiles.

"New toy, darlin'?"

"Henrietta is not a toy, Logan," she says archly. "She is a one hundred and fifty year old instrument and she deserves your respect."

He raises his hands in surrender. "My apologies to Henrietta."

Nori gently puts the violin back in its case. "Logan, this is my old friend Rachael. Rae, this is Logan."

Logan extends a hand. "Hello," he says.

"Nice to meet you," Rachael says.

"Sorry, Logan, we're practicing for Yuri's memorial," Nori says.

"Ah. Well, I'll leave you both be, then. See you around." He ambles out of the living room.

As soon as he's out of earshot—by Rachael's estimation, anyway—Rachael bursts out laughing. "Nori Oyama, when was the last time you let anyone call you 'darlin''?"

Nori ducks her head. "That's just Logan," she says with a smile.

"Don't tell the riot grrrls about that one."

"Come on, Rae, don't be the feminist police. Logan and Remy might have pet names for women, but they respect me. They're not just jackasses on the street calling me 'darlin'' and '_cher_', okay?"

"You're right. I'm sorry. It's just..." Rachael shakes her head. "Let's play."

Nori had arranged piano and violin duets of John Lennon's "Imagine" and Joni Mitchell's "Circle Game." The two women play and sing together easily, as if they'd been doing it for years—which they had. Rachael's throaty contralto harmonizes perfectly with Nori's clear mezzo-soprano, and both women play their instruments with skill. Nori feels rusty on violin, but it's in her bones after so many years of playing. They're so intent on their music that they don't notice they've drawn a small crowd to the living room.

After they finish their initial runthroughs of the songs, neither of which are terribly complicated, Nori acknowledges their audience. "Hey everybody. This is my friend Rachael. Rae, this is, like, everybody."

Rachael waves. Kitty says, awed, "You guys are so good."

"Thanks, Kitty," Nori replies.

"Do you mind if we watch you guys?" Rogue asks.

Nori hesitates. "Actually, we'd kind of like to do this alone. For a little while. It's been a long time since we've gotten to play together. Maybe after dinner we'll do a few songs for you guys, if you want."

The students nod and disperse. Nori's empathy sends out gentle affection in their wake. Nori and Rachael return to playing. After they feel confident about the songs for Yuri's memorial, they start improvising, laughing as they chase each other through complicated rhythms and riffs. Eventually they look up to realize that Scott and Hank are standing in the living room, and they start resolving their invented melody.

"Hey," Nori says. "Scott and Hank, this is my friend Rachael. Rae, this is Scott and Hank," she says, nodding to each man in turn.

"Rachael, it's nice to meet you," Scott says. "I went to one of your shows a few years ago. You're really good."

"Really? Thanks," Rachael says, pleased and surprised.

"It was really my... fiancee's idea, but I was the one who ended up buying your album."

Nori and Rachael exchange glances and laugh. "We are familiar with the 'reluctantly dragged boyfriend' phenomenon," Rachael says. "Where's your fiancee?"

"She died," Scott says.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry," Rachael exclaims. "I... I'm sorry."

"Thank you," Scott says, simply.

After a beat of uncomfortable silence, Hank asks, "Nori, where did you and Rachael meet?"

"College. Freshman year we were roommates. Well, we lived in a suite with these two flautist girls. They were ridiculous. But Rae and I, uh, bonded." Rachael bursts out laughing and Nori shrugs. "Okay, we dated. And we played a lot of music together. We called ourselves the Ghost Stories."

"We make a much better musical duo than a couple," Rachael says.

"Anyway, after college we kind of struck out together. We co-run... ran... our own record label."

"Oh, that reminds me," Rachael says. "I think we have some legal stuff to take care of. After... you were gone for so long, I ended up getting control over Circle Game and I think your mom has all your copyrights now."

"Hmm."

"I'm sure the Professor can help you find a... trustworthy attorney," Hank says.

"Oh, good."

"The Professor? Is this Gilligan's Island?" Rachael asks.

Nori smiles. "Professor Xavier. This is his school."

"May I inquire as to what Circle Game is?" Hank asks.

"Oh, it's the name of our label. Circle Game Records," Nori says.

"We _love_ Joni Mitchell," Rachael adds.

Remy enters the living room and offers a dazzling smile upon seeing Nori.

"How are your songs going?" he asks.

"Good," Nori responds. "It feels so great to play violin again."

Scott frowns. "The school could have gotten you a violin if you'd asked, Nori."

She shakes her head. "Not one like Henrietta. She was made by Jean-Baptiste Vuillame in the early 1860s."

"Bet she's worth a pretty penny," Remy says, and Nori nods. She carefully places her violin back in its case.

"Let's get dinner," she says.

In the dining hall she sits next to Rachael and across from Remy and she radiates contentment. The other teachers inquire about Rachael's powers and listen as she talks about the growing mutant performance art community in New York. "I did a show a couple weeks ago where I played piano, but also I had a bunch of potted plants on stage and I kind of grew them along with the music."

"That sounds sick," Nori says, enthusiastically.

"It totally was, I wish you could have been there. There's another lady, she calls herself Dazzler and she puts on these light shows along with her music."

"Is it wise? To call attention to yourselves that way?" Scott asks.

Rachael's eyes flash. "Should I hide myself away in a mansion like you do?"

Nori puts a hand on Rachael's, warningly. "Not fair, Rae," she murmurs.

"What the hell does fair have to do with anything?" Rachael asks. "Do you think the queer rights movement would have gone anywhere if nobody had ever come out of the closet?"

Nori shakes her head. "You're right. We all of us owe a debt to the Stonewall Riots. But... the stakes are different. Yes, our queer ancestors risked beatings and maybe death. They risked ostracization from their families. But with mutants... things are happening, Rae, that most people don't even know about. Half the people at this table, myself included, have been kidnapped and experimented on by the U. S. Army. They want to turn us into weapons." Nori absently rubs the back of her neck, her fingers circling the scar that had been left behind by Stryker's drug.

Rachael glances at her, then drops her eyes to the table. "Sorry," she murmurs. "That's just not... I guess it's not what I have to think about on a daily basis."

"Lucky you," Logan says. His tone is mild, but his eyes are hard.

There's a short silence, and then Remy says, "So, Rachael, what was Miss Nori like back in her college days?'

Rachael smiles. "She was... so charmingly innocent. Came to college without ever having had a sip of alcohol or a single cigarette. But she was also completely unfazed by having a mutant roommate."

"I wasn't unfazed. I thought it was awesome," Nori corrects.

"But you'd never believe the difference between freshman Nori and sophomore Nori. When she came to NYU she wore khakis and button-down shirts and Oxford shoes. Sophomore year, she went full-on riot grrrl and never went anywhere without PVC combat boots and fishnets. And she went through more eyeliner than your average drag queen."

"Oh my God, I wanted to be Courtney Love so bad," Nori says wistfully. "I guess I still kind of do. I mean, Courtney Love circa 1994. Not present day Courtney Love."

"You were always so hung up on Courtney. I wanted to be Kathleen Hanna."

"Well, fair enough," Nori replies. "Kathleen's a definite badass."

Nori and Rachael pass the rest of dinner sharing recollections of their college years and afterward.

"I'll never forget, one time Nori came into the Circle Game office after having been on tour for like, two months. And I'd just gotten in myself, and there was a crow on her desk. Just chilling. And she just looked at it, and looked at me, and said, 'Oh, did we hire a crow while I was gone?'" They laugh, and Rachael continues. "And then, she pulls a granola bar out of her bag and feeds the crow. And then it just sat on her desk the whole day and she would like, converse with it."

"Crows are a symbol of the Dalai Lama," Nori says. "Who am I to deny a sign from a bodhisattva?"

"What happened to the crow?" Logan asks.

"Oh, I kept my window open the whole day. It flew away as I was leaving for the day."

"Is that why you got a crow tattoo?" Remy asks.

"No, I had that before."

Logan raises his eyebrows. "You have a crow tattoo?"

"Yeah, it's on my shoulder," Nori says, giving a slight shrug with her left side.

Everyone has finished eating, but the teachers and older students are still hanging around the dining hall.

"Oh," Nori says. "I told the students we'd play something for them after dinner. Shall we?" she asks Rachael, who nods.

They all pass to the living room, where Nori and Rachael laughingly introduce themselves at the Ghost Stories and play a dreamy, joyful set of covers and their own music.

Afterward Remy, Nori, and Rachael sit together in Remy and Nori's bedroom. "I missed playing with you," Nori says.

"Same."

Then, Nori's phone vibrates in her pocket. She glances it at it. "It's my mom... I'm going to take it. Sorry." She steps out into the hallway and chats in Japanese.

"So," Rachael says. "What's your story, Remy LeBeau?"

He shifts uneasily. He can tell Rachael doesn't really like him, which is a little unusual for Remy. And he's pretty sure that telling her his background won't make her like him any more, but he doesn't want to lie to Nori's friend—especially since he's sure Rachael will check his story with Nori anyway.

"I'm from New Orleans," he says. "I... my mother gave me up at birth, so I don't know my family, but I got adopted when I was ten. I made my way playin' cards and such, and when I was 18, man named William Stryker came and took me to his lab. Did a bunch of experiments on me until I escaped. I... went back to New Orleans for a spell, then I went back to Stryker's base with Logan. You met him. We freed all the kids Stryker had locked up, but Stryker got away. Then I got into a bit of trouble in New Orleans and had to leave. I traveled around for awhile and Magneto found me. He knew about Stryker, knew about what happened to me. So I followed him for a couple years. Then Nori came to the Brotherhood, and, well, she told you all 'bout that, I imagine. And now I am here."

Her green eyes meet his red ones for a long time. "Nori's special to me. To a lot of people."

Remy nods solemnly. "To me, too."

"Are you sure you can keep up with her?"

"How do you mean?"

Rachael hesitates. "You're just... very different from her usual type."

"I'm sure of that. Maybe she needs a change, _non_?"

"Look. I... I get the sense that you're a lot more... experienced than Nori. I just don't want her to get hurt."

"The last thing I intend to do is hurt her."

"She's... sensitive. And she doesn't make good choices, romantically speaking. And I'm the one who has to sit with her when her lover ends up in rehab or in jail or with a seventeen-year-old."

"Well, I am the one who sat with her for a week when she was in a coma, and three months while she remembered how to speak. I'm the one who understands what she's been through, what her life is now."

"Her life is the way it is now because of you! You and that damned Brotherhood."

"No. Her life is the way it is because of Stryker. I tried to protect her."

"Not hard enough, apparently."

"Enough," Nori snaps. Her shield is up and neither of them had noticed her enter the room. Her hands are trembling and her mouth is tight.

"Nori," Rachael says, guiltily. "I just want... what's best for you."

"Me, too," Remy says.

Nori lets out a long breath. "I'm the one who gets to decide. Me." Remy stands and walks toward her, and she shakes her head and holds up a hand. "No. No. I'll talk to you two here in half an hour. I suggest you two find separate places to be, also." She slips back out the door.

"_Merde_," Remy breathes. "You can stay here, if you'd like. I'm going downstairs."

Rachael nods and says nothing as Remy leaves. She paces around the bedroom for a few moments, then checks the time on her phone and makes her way outside. There are a few glowing lights along the garden path, enough that she can find her way back to the bench she and Nori had sat on earlier in the afternoon. But she doesn't realize Logan is also sitting on the bench until she sits down and smells his cigar smoke.

"Oh," she gasps. "I didn't see you."

He shrugs. "Bench is plenty big for two."

"Thanks," she says.

They sit in quiet for several minutes while Logan smokes and Rachael fumes. Finally, she speaks up, hesitantly. "Logan?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you... what do you think about Remy?"

Logan nods. "Ah. That's what this is about, then." He takes a contemplative puff of his cigar. "Well, he's a bit of a loudmouth. Cheats at cards. And he's about the biggest flirt I've ever seen. But I trust him with the important stuff. He's a decent guy. And he's... devoted to Nori. When she was hurt, the only time he left her side was if Hank sedated him."

"He makes me nervous. Nori never likes guys like him. The way she looks at him... the way she talks about him... it's like she's hypnotized or something."

"You know... between you and me, I think there is something to that. That Cajun's more persuasive than he has any right to be. I think it might be part of his mutation."

"So you think he's brainwashing her?"

"No, no, nothin' like that. Now, I haven't known Nori as long as you, but I like her. And I don't think Remy'd ever have her do somethin' she didn't wanna do. I'll admit, they seemed like a bit of an odd couple when I first met them. But they've been through a lot together, and that counts for something. The first time I met Nori, more'n a year ago, she was fresh out of Stryker's lab and scared of her own shadow. And he was about as gentle as can be with her. I don't think you need to worry about the two of 'em."

Rachael sighs. "Okay. Thank you." She pulls out her phone and glances at it. "Guess I can go in now. Have a good night, Logan."

"Wait up there, darlin'. Aren'tcha going to fix the grass before you go?"

"Fuck," she says. "Second time today. I haven't been this bad in years." She closes her eyes and Logan can smell the grass growing under his feet.

"See ya around," Logan says as Rachael walks back to the mansion. She knocks on Remy and Nori's door. Nori opens it and welcomes her in with a serene smile. Remy's already inside, looking a little smug.

"Okay," Nori says, calmly. "Let's talk. I believe when we were last together, the two of you were arguing about which one of you had seen me at my most pathetic." Rachael and Remy both start to protest, but Nori shakes her head and holds up a hand. "Please let me finish. Look, frankly, it's a pretty close tie. I don't know. I've had a lot of down moments in my life, and I am truly grateful to have the two of you, and others, in my life to help me out of them. I love both of you. Rae... I'm so glad to have you in my life as my friend, my confidant, my muse, and my business partner. I love your toughness and your maternal streak, and I don't mind if sometimes those traits make you a little patronizing. Sometimes maybe that's what I need."

She takes a deep breath and continues, "And you, Remy... I am so grateful that you've been by my side since this whole mutant thing started for me. From the first day I met you, I felt like I could trust you, even though you were a somewhat-threatening stranger in my hotel room." A ghost of a smile crosses her lips. "You've always been there for me, to listen to me and calm me down when shit gets too weird. And if you sometimes keep secrets from me, or get a little overprotective... well, I can't blame you too much."

She bites her lip. "I guess that's all I wanted to say. I don't know. I love you both and I want you to get along with each other. And I want you both to acknowledge that I'm an adult. And I might need to be physically protected from who the fuck ever wants to kidnap me these days, because I am the size of a junior high student and I have a mutant power that is not in any way useful to me, but emotionally... I can make my own decisions. And Rachael, I choose to be with Remy. I love him."

"Love you too, _cher_," Remy says, contentedly.

Rachael sighs. "I'm glad you're doing okay, Nori. This seems like a good place for you. If you can't be in the city. I just have one question for you, Remy."

"Shoot."

"Do you... have any mutant powers besides the explosions thing?"

Remy narrows his eyes slightly, but he nods and says, "_Oui._"

Nori looks between the two of them. "Remy?"

"I... I have a little charm," he says, and Nori laughs.

"I know you do." Then she frowns. "Wait, what? Are you saying that's a mutant ability?"

Rachael looks triumphant as Remy explains, "If I look someone in the eyes, I can almost always charm them into doing what I want. But... but I don't use it, much. And it works better on strangers then on people I know."

"Did you ever use it on me?"

"Not... much," he admits. "Just, things like asking you to eat, or asking you to sleep. When I was worried about you."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Nori asks.

"It don't work when people know about it. I... thought about telling you. But then it wouldn't work, see, and I swear I was only using it to help you."

"When you... charm people, do they know? I mean...I don't think I ever noticed."

"No... you wouldn't."

"Did Magneto know?"

"Don't think so. I never told him. But I never tried to charm him, neither."

Nori nods. "Okay. Okay. Wait. Rae, how did you even think to ask that? Do you have another power you're holding out on me?"

Rachael shifts in her chair. "Logan told me."

Remy raises his eyebrows. "Huh. Guess he could tell something like that."

"Wait, Nori, you just buy his story that he kept this charm thing a secret so he could make sure you were eating enough?"

"Yes," Nori says.

"Didn't you say that you trusted him from the moment you met? You don't think his _charm_ had something to do with that?"

"Maybe it did. But he's earned my trust a hundred times over with his actions these last few years. Please, Rae, take my word. Please stop trying to dig up dirt on Remy. I know you're only trying to protect me. But you don't know him like I know him."

Rachael takes a deep breath. "Okay. Okay, fine. I'm sorry. Remy, I'm sorry."

Remy shrugs. "If I were you, I'd probably be suspicious of Remy too. I'm a t'ief, a liar, and a gambler. But I love Nori."

"Ah, the man of my dreams," Nori sighs.

Rachael smiles. "All right. I'm sorry. I... I'm glad you're happy, Nori. Truly."

Nori smiles back and finally drops her mental shield, letting Remy and Rachael feel her contentment. "Rae, I'll walk you back to you room."

"Okay," Rachael says. "Good night, Remy."

"_Bonsoir_."

Nori holds Rachael's hand as she guides her friend up the stairs to the guest room they've set aside for her. She hugs her friend. "Thanks for coming, Rae. I'll see you in the morning. Breakfast's at seven."

"Night, Kiki. I'm sorry... for what I said."

"It's okay. I know you're looking out for me."

Nori finds Remy waiting for her in bed, shirtless.

"Well hello, Prince Charming," she says.

"Hey, _cherie_. How's Rachael?" She changes quickly into boxer shorts and a tank top and comes to lie next to Remy.

"Oh, she's okay. I guess I understand her acting this way. She's always been... she's always thought I was too trusting of people. She'd always swear that I was going to get murdered by a drifter whenever I toured by myself." She laughs. "Which I guess wasn't actually that unreasonable of an idea, it turns out. And also... well, I identify as bi. But Rae's a lesbian and she always gets a little grumpy when I date men." She scoots closer to Remy and rests her cheek on his chest. "But I like men."

Remy laughs. "Glad t'hear it, _cher_."

"I like _you_," she says, breathily. Remy gently rolls out from under her and straddles her, careful to rest some of his weight on his elbows. He kisses her. When they come up for air, she looks into his eyes and teases, "You sure you never charmed me into doing anything...?"

"Don't think I ever needed my charm to make you interested in me, _cher_."

"You'd be so arrogant if you weren't right." He bends down and gently nibbles her earlobe, knowing that it's one of her most sensitive spots. "Ohh, God." She puts up a shield over her empathy.

"Now, _cher_, you just stop me if I'm doing anything you don't like." He moves his mouth down to the hollow of her collarbone and she lets out a small moan and draws her fingers through his hair.

"Don't want you to think I'm hypnotizing you," he says, pulling his mouth away and slipping his hands under her tank top.

"More," Nori pleads.

"More what?" Remy asks, his long, nimble fingers exploring her body.

"More, please?" He laughs and obliges her. The way she'd whimpered "please" sends a shiver down his spine. They burn off the day's frustrations and fall asleep twined together.

At breakfast, Nori and Rachael entertain themselves by making Top 5 lists. Top 5 Drunken Jukebox Picks. Top 5 Feminists. Top 5 Shoes. Top 5 80s Teen Comedies. The lists are inane, but they debate them passionately. Scott and Hank surprise Remy by joining in. Remy, Logan, and Ororo glance at each other, not really following. As if she can read his mind, Nori looks at him and smiles. "Top 5 card games," she says.

"Well. Poker, 'course. Then strip poker. Solitaire. Euchre. Tarot."

"Hmm. I think mine are, solitaire, euchre, Disney Princess Uno, rummy, and strip Go Fish," she replies, solemnly.

Remy grins and pulls a deck of cards out of his pocket. "Well, _cher,_ let's play."

She grins back. "Later."

"You always carry cards with you?" Rachael asks.

"It's... a habit," Remy says.

Nori turns her grin on Rachael and says, gently, "He's not the one who carries a cactus with him everywhere."

Everyone at the table turns to glance at Rachael, who blushes slightly. "I mean... it's small. It's in my purse. It just... I just like having it with me." No one at the table seems to find this odd, and Rachael relaxes.

After breakfast, Rachael follows Nori to her music class and sees how happy the students are as they practice their arrangements of Kary Perry's "Firework" and Cee-Lo Green's "Fuck You." (Scott had bristled at that one, but Nori had firmly insisted that the students be allowed to pick their own songs, and that the edited "Forget You" version was an affront. They had compromised by agreeing that the students wouldn't perform that particular song on the rare occasions when parents were around.)

"God, those kids love you," Rachael says, after class is over and the kids have moved on to math.

Nori smiles. "They love having a break from real classes."

Rachael shakes her head. "I can see why you like it here. And they obviously like having you here." She glances at her phone. "Shit. I should get going soon."

"Let's get your stuff." Nori leads her friend upstairs, where Rachael grabs her backpack. Outside of Rachael's car, the women hug. "It was so good to see you, Rae. Thank you for coming."

"Of course. Of course. And... I'm sorry for all that stuff I said about Remy. I just-"

"I know. Oh, um, and Rae... you can't tell anybody where I am, okay? It's, um, it's important."

"Yeah. I get it. This is like your secret identity or whatever."

"Or whatever," Nori agrees. "Okay. So. I'll see you at the temple on Saturday?"

"Yeah."

"Drive safe."

"Love you."

"Love you too." Nori stands and waves until her friend is out of sight. She goes back to her bedroom and plays her violin until lunch. She feels lucky.


	14. Chapter 14

At lunch, Remy finds her and asks after Rachael.

"She left. She had some stuff to take care of in New York, so she can be free Saturday."

Remy nods and looks into her eyes.

"It was good," she says in reply to his silent question. "She came to class with me this morning. She said she understood why I liked it here. And that... I mean, Rae thinks New York is the center of the universe. She has a hard time understanding why anyone would want to live anywhere else. So. I think that's progress." She takes a bite of her sandwich, swallows, and adds, "And I'm pretty sure she doesn't think you're trying to brainwash me."

Remy grins. "Maybe I just brainwashed both of you."

She tilts her head to the side, considering. "Hmm. Well, some would say that this life is illusory anyway, so I might as well take a good illusion when I see one." She eats more grilled cheese as Remy ponders that. "I'm so glad I'm not lactose intolerant," she says, happily.

"Me too, because I don't know what the hell you'd eat otherwise."

"That was always the worst part about touring. No dairy."

"That's a silly rule."

She shakes her head ruefully. "The human voice is a fragile and finicky beast, and dairy is awful for it. Whenever I finished a tour leg, first thing I'd do would be get a cheese pizza. And maybe a joint."

"Well, _cher_, that sounds like a fine evening to Remy."

"I know all about your idea of a fine evening," she says, bursting with laughter. Logan glances over at them from the other end of the table and smirks. "God, what an eavesdropper," she says. "I guess I don't blame him. If my hearing were that good I would listen to everyone all the time."

Remy's wondered about that himself. He's sure their neighbor must get an earful of them most nights, but Logan's never said anything to him about it. Well, it's not like it's a secret that he and Nori are a couple, and Remy has a bit of an exhibitionist streak. He likes the sounds he can make Nori produce, and it doesn't bother him that Logan can hear-as long as it doesn't bother her.

Nori narrows her eyes the slightest bit. "What's on your mind, Remy?"

"You are," he says, with a broad grin. She gives him a complicated look. Remy's never known a woman who could so easily convey irritation, affection, and amusement with a single glance. "It's the truth," he says.

"And what were you thinking about me?"

His smile widens and he looks at her hungrily. "Maybe I shouldn't say... if other people are listening." She blushes a little and looks down at her empty plate. He loves that she still blushes.

"Well," she says, giving him a challenging look, "I'm going back to our room. Too bad you have class this afternoon..." He watches her leave for a few seconds, admiring her short polka-dotted dress, then quickly follows her.

"You know, class don't start for another fifteen minutes."

She smiles at him. "Then you'd better make them count." In their bedroom he makes two pleasant discoveries: first, that she hadn't been wearing any underwear beneath her dress; and second, that she'd been at least as aroused by their lunchtime banter as he'd been. They make good use of their time. After he pulls out of her, panting, and throws away the condom, she kisses him and whispers, "You need to be in the gym in 1 minute."

"The kids can warm up on their own," he says, leaning in to her slender neck.

She plants her palms into his chest and pushes him back. "No, love, go be a good example. I'll be here when you get back." He sighs melodramatically and she grins. "Go!" He grumbles something in French as he pulls on his track pants and tank top. "Have a good class," she calls, serenely.

After Remy runs down the hall to the elevator, she starts unpacking the backpack that Rachael had brought her. She's feeling sleepy and happy and she thinks this is probably the ideal time to look at whatever pieces of her past are in that pink bag. She pulls out a file folder with some mail and legal documents. A floral-print journal. Her laptop and external hard drive. A binder of CDs, which she flips through and realizes must represent the music Rachael thinks she's missed out on over the last two years. She had tried to catch up online, but somehow she'd missed the new Mountain Goats album. She looks at it and realizes they'd sent Rachael a pre-release copy and it isn't actually out yet. Excitedly, she opens her laptop, a worn silver MacBook Pro, and plays it while she looks through her bag.

She pulls out a packet of press clippings. She struggles to read them and resolves to spend more time practicing reading. She reaches in the bag again and pulls out a DVD, and the clippings make a bit more sense. She remembers giving Julie, a friend of a friend, permission to make a documentary about her. She remembers her following her around on tour, and giving little talking head interviews in her apartment. But after she'd disappeared, it never occurred to her that the documentary would be finished. She examines the case and sets it aside. She doesn't think she has the emotional stamina to watch it alone.

She turns to her laptop, pauses the Mountain Goats, and starts up GarageBand, digging through her old projects. She lays on her stomach, puts in her headphones and is pasting loops when Remy returns, sweaty and tired from training with the students.

He ruffles her hair and she turns sharply and takes out her headphones, relaxing when she sees that it's him. "Hey, _cher_, whatcha working on?" he says.

"Song," she says. "How was class?"

Remy almost makes a joke, but he senses the mood that's settled over Nori. "Good," he says. "The kids are quick learners."

She nods, then sighs. "Remy, look at all this stuff Rae brought. I... it's hard. To read it." For the first time he takes in the stacks of stuff surrounding Nori and her laptop. He'd be amused by the irony that he's become the literate one in their relationship, if it weren't sad.

"Well, let's take a look," he says. He picks up the DVD first. "Hey, _cherie_, you're a movie star!" He loves the photo of her on the cover, she's on stage and playing her guitar and looking fierce and alive. He skims a small stack of articles. "Looks like people liked it."

"Hmm. Well, Rae would only give me the positive reviews."

"There are a lot of them. You want to watch it?"

"I guess so..." she says, uncertainly.

"Don't have to if you don't want to."

She cups her chin in her hands and gazes up at him. "You go shower. I'll think about it."

He nods and unselfconsciously shucks off his sweaty workout gear. She smiles, then shoves her papers back in the backpack. She to messing around with her audio clips. Later, Remy emerges from the shower clean and smelling of black tea and cloves, a cologne she'd picked out for him. She adores it, and Remy knows it. He drapes himself next to her on the bed, and she inhales deeply. "Mm, go get dressed. Don't drip on my laptop."

He obliges, then comes back to peer over her shoulder. "What exactly are you doing, _cherie_?"

"Ah, just messing around with some sound files. I recorded them, you know, before, and I'm just experimenting with how to mix them. So, like, this line is the violin part, and I can put an effect on it or loop it or whatever. But I only learned how to use this software kind of recently... relatively speaking... so I like to just play around with it and see what I can do."

He kisses her cheek. "Looks complicated."

"Not really. Well, kind of." She clicks a few more times and plays her track back. She's lost in her work, and he watches her for a few minutes, admiring her intensity, then peels himself up to get dressed. He lies next to her and nuzzles her neck. She makes a small content sound, but stays focused. Then she sighs and flips the laptop shut. "Well, hell, it's not like I have a deadline, is it?" She rolls over and kisses him. They kiss for a few minutes, but it becomes clear to Remy that her mind is elsewhere, and he pulls away and looks into her eyes. She looks away. "Sorry, Remy. It's just..."

"You don't have to explain y'self, _cher_."

"Do you miss your life? Before?"

He considers. "Sometimes. Miss the warm weather, for sure. Miss the schedule. But I didn't... didn't really have a purpose. Besides hating Stryker. You did."

"Yeah." He strokes her hair, and she continues, "I shouldn't be such a baby. I do like it here. And I have such a great boyfriend," she says, smiling at him. "But... well, whatever. I can't change it, so I need to accept it. This is my life now." She sits up. "Let's go watch that damn documentary so I can move on. Okay?"

"'Course."

She strokes his hair into place and gives him a wide smile. She takes his hand as they walk down to the living room. Some of the students are in there watching Simpsons re-runs. She and Remy settle down into an overstuffed armchair. They're both slim-hipped enough that they can sit side by side-Nori thinks it's unseemly for her to sit on his lap when the kids are around, though Remy could care less. The kids turn and smile, and Nori waves and says, "Hey, guys."

"D'you mind if we put in a movie after this is over?" Remy asks.

"What movie?" asks Jubilee.

Nori blushes a little and Remy holds up the case. "It's some documentary a friend of a friend made about me. Rae left a copy and I just... I'm kinda curious," she says.

"Let's put it in now," Rogue says. "We've all seen this one before. It's the one where they build a monorail."

"Well... if you're sure," Nori says. The kids nod and Remy wedges himself out of their chair and puts the DVD in. Bobby changes the TV input and hits play, and Remy returns to wrap a supportive arm around Nori.

The film opens with shaky footage of a tiny Nori playing violin onstage. It's replaced by her in a high school uniform, then a college recital. Finally, it shows Nori wearing tall black boots and playing guitar on stage in front of an excited crowd, who sing along with her:

_They ask me if I'm a patriot_

_But the fact is, well, I'm not_

_I'll love my country, baby,_

_The day it loves me back_

_We'll love our country, baby_

_The day it loves us back_

After the song, Nori looks around and stage-whispers into the microphone, "Ever since the Patriot Act, every time I play that song, I'm afraid I'm gonna get arrested!"

Then it cuts to footage of Nori getting arrested at a protest, and the narrator explains about the annual protest at the School of Americas in Georgia, and how some protesters deliberately choose to get arrested every year. There's footage from an interview Nori gave from prison, where she calmly explains, "The School of the Americas is evil. It is unconscionable that my tax dollars pay to support murderous dictators. I'd rather my tax dollars went to support education for prison inmates." Later in the interview she jokes that all her idols had spent time in prison: "Martin Luther King, Johnny Cash, Joan Baez, even Courtney Love. So I guess I'm on the right track."

The kids are all shocked, and even Remy is surprised.

"You were in _jail_, Miss Oyama?" Jubilee asks.

"Well, a little bit," she says, lightly. The documentary shows Nori's history of protesting, but it also showcases her technical skill, showing her in the studio and on stage. It also has interviews with a lot of Nori's friends, who speak about her musicianship and kindness. Nori turns her face into Remy's shoulder. They stop the documentary an hour in to go to dinner.

"Miss Oyama, I didn't know you did so much stuff," Kitty says, enthusiastically.

"Um, thanks, Kitty," Nori says. She has her shield up, which Remy knows is a clear sign she's upset. He takes her hand as they walk to dinner. The kids chatter enthusiastically about how cool Nori used to be. She's quiet throughout dinner, and Remy chatters aimlessly to try to cheer her up. The other teachers notice that something is up and they look inquiringly at the couple. Finally, Logan asks, "Everything all right, darlin'?" Nori shrugs and says, "Rae brought me a copy of a documentary that got made about me after, um, I disappeared. We were watching it before dinner and it's just... hard."

Logan frowns. "What are they saying about you?"

"Nothing bad, not so far at least. It's just..."

"You used to be a rock star, and now you're a high school music teacher," Scott supplies.

Nori looks down at her plate miserably. "Well, yeah, basically," she says softly.

"I didn't know you were so unhappy here," Ororo says.

"Oh, no, no, I'm not. I mean usually. I mean it's just... sometimes I miss it. My last life. But I do like it here. I do. Of course I do." She smiles, though it doesn't reach her eyes. "Especially when there's cake at dinner," she adds, taking a bite.

The topic of conversations drifts to the day's news. California was trying to pass a bill to allow for mutant-only public schools, which made everyone nervous.

"It sounds like a good idea at first," Scott says. "But soon it'll be Jim Crow laws all over again."

Everyone agrees, and is uneasy. "Magneto's probably going to attack the California Senate," Nori says, moodily. She's eaten half a slice of cake and is carefully mashing the other half with her fork.

"Have you spoken with him?" Scott asks, sharply.

"Of course not," Nori says. "I just assume that's what he'll do. That or go after the construction site when they start building the school."

Remy nods. "Probably the school, if I had to guess," he says. This puts something of a damper on the rest of dinner, and no one is in a great mood when they take their dishes back to the kitchen.

But Rogue comes up and says, "Miss Oyama, let's finish watching your movie now," and Nori smiles gently and says, "Of course."

The rest of the school's teachers crowd into the school's large living room for the second of half of the film, which focuses more on life after Nori's disappearance. It's full of sad remembrances and conspiracy theories. Finally, it ends with a few live performances. Remy adores watching his girl on stage. She looks so comfortable there. It's a little hard for him to reconcile the Nori who performs for hundreds of fans and stares down the police at anti-war protests with the one sitting by his side, the one who jumps at broken plates and still wakes up in the middle of the night whimpering about William Stryker at least once a week. Watching the movie makes him realize, for the first time, just what's been done to Nori, and he hates it.

The kids seem oblivious; they're thrilled about the minor music celebrities who turn up in the documentary. After the movie Rogue asks Nori to play a song, and she just shakes her head and says, "Sorry... not tonight. Maybe tomorrow." Then she says goodnight and scurries out of the living room like a scared mouse. Remy trails behind her, nodding goodnight as he leaves the room. He catches up with her and wraps his arm around her shoulders.

"Let's go outside, _cher_," he says. She comes along without protest, and he walks her far out into the garden, almost to the woods. "Okay," he says. "Now let down your shield."

"What?"

"Let it down. You need to let out your power. Come on, Remy can take it."

She laughs a little, then turns into his chest and wraps her arms around his neck. Slowly, she takes down her mental shield, and he's overwhelmed by the strength of her sorrow and guilt and anxiety. His knees actually buckle from the force of it, but he quickly straightens his knees and tightens his grip on her. "Shh, you're okay," he says, gently. She's sobbing, now, but her projection is already calmer. Lightly, he runs his hands up and down her hair and shoulders.

"It's so selfish," she sobs. "I'm so selfish."

"You're not selfish, _cher_. It's normal you'd miss your old life, 'specially seein' it played out in front of you like that." She says nothing, and he continues his gentle caresses. "You're... you're not always this unhappy, are you?"

"No," she murmurs. "No. Love you."

"Love you too, _cherie_, but... tell me, are you so sad here? Do you want to run? I'll run with you, anywhere."

"No. No, here is good. I just..." She's taking deep breaths and calming down. "Guess I just needed to get that out," she sniffs. "Thanks, Remy."

"Any time, _ma mie_." He holds her until her breathing returns to normal. "You want to go inside?"

"No... can we stay out here? For a little while?"

"'Course." She sits down on the grass and leans back on her elbows, and he follows her lead.

"You can see so many stars here," she says, peacefully. "Do you know any constellations?"

"Can't say as I do," he says. He'd always spent as many nights as possible indoors. And even the nights when he'd slept on the streets, well, it was hard to see too many stars against the bright lights of New Orleans.

"Me, neither. Look, those ones kind of look like a teapot."

He kisses her forehead and says, "Look, a gator."

"Your eyes are so beautiful in the dark," she says, twisting to stare into his face.

"And they're not in the daytime?" he asks, with a pout that earns him a wave of fabulously irritated fondness from Nori's empathy.

"Always fishing for a compliment, you are."

"_Non, non_. Just want to make sure I understand you, is all," he says, innocently.

She nudges him, gently. "Your eyes are always beautiful, Remy, but especially in the dark. Especially right now. Okay?"

"Why, thank you, _cher_. Awful nice of you to say."

She laughs and rests her head in his lap. "You're lucky I'm used to dating artists. They make you seem ego-free by comparison."

"I'm lucky for a lot of reasons, _ma mie._" She sighs and sends him another wave of exasperated fondness. He smiles and strokes her hair. They sit like that for a long time, until Remy realizes that Nori's fallen asleep in his lap. She looks peaceful, and he gazes down at her serene face for a long moment. He tries to carefully slip her head off his lap, intending to carry her back inside, but she wakes up and looks at him.

"C'mon, _cher_, let's go inside."

"Okay," she murmurs. Her projections are sleepy and sweet, and she wraps her arm around his waist as they walk back through the garden. Remy thinks back to his years of taking anyone who flirted with him home from the bar. He doesn't regret those years, not at all, but he never remembers feeling so content. He's clearly gotten soft with age, but he's not complaining. When they get back to their room, Nori peels off her dress and bra and pulls on her shorts and tank top. She curls into a fetal position and Remy nestles next to her.


	15. Chapter 15

Nori makes it through Friday just fine, if a little distracted. In class, Jubilee tries to get her attention by boldly claiming that Katy Perry is a better singer than Lady Gaga, but Nori doesn't even respond. The next morning, they wake up early to drive to Boston for Yuri's memorial. Logan and Ororo accompany them, for moral support, and in case anything happens. Neither Nori nor Logan have spoken about the fact that Logan killed Yuriko, not since the night Logan told her. Remy knows that Nori still has occasional nightmares about her friend killing her sister—he's been forced to dream them with her a few times. He is impressed with Nori's ability to forgive, though Nori would call it an ability to compartmentalize, for she has not forgiven Stryker.

Yuri's memorial is small, with a handful of relatives and a few of her close friends. The air is thick with incense. Rachael and Nori perform their songs, and Nori makes it through without crying, though her face is tight and her empathic shield is up. As soon as their songs are completed, she sits down. She sits very stiff and still, like a china doll. Afterward, she stands with her mother, brother-in-law, and niece and receives condolences. Remy tries to follow her and she shakes her head tersely. He's a little hurt, but bites it back. This day isn't about him. He stands with Logan and Ororo and they carefully watch the crowd for any potential threats. It seems, though, that the FOH are willing to let the Oyama family grieve in peace—or, at least, hadn't found out about the memorial.

Afterward, a handful of family members and friends go back to the Oyama house in Cambridge and crowd into the kitchen and living room. Logan, Ororo, and Remy all feel uncomfortable but Nori introduces them to a few people as her co-workers. She moves around the room like a ghost, speaking quietly to people but not really present. Finally, food is served and most of the guests trickle out. Nori embraces her family and whispers goodbyes, then returns to her mutant friends. "Let's go," she says softly. Logan drives and Remy and Nori sit in the backseat. He takes her hand, and she clutches it tightly.

"Thank you for coming with me," she says, in her ghost voice.

"'Course, darlin'," Logan says, and Remy and Ororo murmur assent. They sit in a careful silence until they get on the freeway, and Ororo turns on the radio. She leaves it on one station until they drive out of range. Remy glances at Nori, but she says nothing. When they get back to the mansion, Nori heads straight for her bedroom. She kicks off her heels, changes into yoga pants and a T-shirt, and picks up her guitar.

"_Cher?_ You want to be alone?"

"No," she says. "Please."

"Of course." He watches her strum her guitar, channelling all her anxiety into it. She seems to be calming herself down, but not particularly interested in talking to Remy. He shakes out a deck of cards and starts playing solitaire. Gradually, she stops playing guitar and focuses her attention on him.

"That is ridiculous," she says. "How can you do that so fast?"

"Lot of practice, _cher_. Same as you and that guitar." She puts her guitar away and lies down on the bed across from him. He stops playing to look at her.

"No, keep going. I want to watch you. Is that weird?"

He grins. "Not strange at all, _cher_. Lots of people like to watch Remy." He starts showing off, tossing the cards with speed and precision. She claps when he places the final card, the 2 of hearts, in its proper place. He collects the cards and shuffles them elaborately. Her face looks captivated, and less ghostly.

"You wanna play?"

"Okay," she says. He deals and she stares at her cards for a long time. He wonders if maybe he's miscalculated in inviting her, but finally she nods and calls. After flipping the fifth card in the river, Remy frowns and folds. Nori reveals a pair of fives and grins. "I win!"

"_Cher_, you'd win no matter what. I folded."

"But I won for real."

He shakes his head. "Winning's winning, _cher_, don't matter if you were bluffing or not." This is a point she's always struggled with when they play cards. "Your deal," he adds.

"Will you shuffle for me?"

"Course." She grins widely as he does. They play several hands before Nori loses interest.

"Ready for bed?" he asks.

"Guess so." She falls asleep almost immediately, emotionally exhausted from her day. The next morning she's awake and doing yoga when Remy gets up. He watches her admiringly.

"Yoga is for aligning spirit and body, not for letting you stare at my ass, Remy," she says, serenely.

"It can't be both?" he pouts.

She bends over backwards and regards him. "How well you understand the duality of things," she says. "I suppose it can." So he sits quietly and watches her until she finishes, laying peacefully on the ground for a few moments in silence. Her emotional projections are amazingly calm, and he smiles and lets them wash over him, until she gets up to shower. They pass a lazy Sunday morning watching TV with the students. In the afternoon, Remy goes outside to play Ultimate Frisbee with them. Nori sits in the garden and watches, and Logan comes to sit next to her.

"How you holding up, kid?" he asks.

"Fine," she says, honestly.

"You know, I've been thinking. It's time you started training in self-defense."

She glances at him warily. "I'm not really... good at that," she says.

"I know. That's why you need to practice. Just because you're small don't mean you can't defend yourself."

She bites her lip, and he continues, "Xavier asked me to teach you, when you seemed ready. He thinks it'll help you feel, y'know, safer."

"I guess," she says, uncertainly.

"I think you'd be a good match to train with Kitty. But first I want to work with you one on one in the Danger Room, get you up to speed a little. We'll go slow. All right?"

She nods.

"Good," he says with a smile. "Then go change and meet me in the Danger Room in ten minutes."

"What?" she asks.

"No time like the present, darlin'. And I know you. You'd just sit around and worry about it until we started, anyway."

She laughs ruefully. "Well, okay." She goes inside and changes into sweatpants, a T-shirt, and sneakers. She's not really sure if that's what you're supposed to wear into the Danger Room, but she doesn't have a leather jumpsuit.

Fortunately, when Logan meets her in front of the Danger Room, he's wearing jeans and a white T-shirt. "This is your first time in here, right?"

She nods, and her face twists into an expression that says, "Obviously."

"Okay. Let me explain, then. Hank set it up and it's pretty high tech. Not even really sure how it works, but it does. There's... illusions, in there, that look real and they feel real. But they're not, okay? Remember that."

She bites her lip and nods again. She'd had more than enough experience with illusions, inside Stryker's Cerebro.

Logan touches her shoulder lightly. "Relax, kid, I'll start out easy." When they step into the Danger Room, it looks remarkably like Nori's old neighborhood in Brooklyn, and she smiles.

"Okay, darlin', I just want you to walk down the street, like you would." Before she starts, he messes with a small remote, and the street is suddenly populated with people.

She puts her hands in her pockets and evaluates the scene, casually. She strides down it confidently, staying in well-lighted areas and avoiding pick-pockets without looking like she's avoiding them.

"Good," he says. He presses a button. "Figured you probably already knew how to handle yourself in a situation like that. Now come back toward me." She looks at the street, which is now darker and less populated.

"Logan," she says, "I wouldn't walk down this street by myself. Not without pepper spray or something."

"Great, kid, but sometimes you have to do stuff you don't want to." She sighs and warily starts down the street. A man scurries out of an alley and grabs her from behind, wrapping one hand around her mouth. She goes limp and sobs. Logan shakes his head and turns off the simulation, and she falls to her knees. "Darlin', it's done. You're all right."

"I-I don't," she sobs and adds something unintelligible. He walks over to her and gingerly pats her, thankful that he did not try to put her in this when kids were around. "I don't want to go back," she whispers.

"Calm down, Nori. This, in here, it's not real. It's just to practice."

She takes a few deep breaths and wipes her face with the back of her hand. "Sorry," she says.

"S'alright, darlin'. Okay. How about if you go get a drink of water, and then you watch me do it once?"

"Okay," she says, softly. She comes back and crosses her arms across her chest as he slowly demonstrates how to fend off an attacker. "Aim for anything soft," he says. "Eyes, balls, gut. Anybody who's going after you isn't playin' nice, so there's no reason you should play nice back. Look, the thumb is the weakest part of a grip. Use it to break out. Use anything you can." She watches wide-eyed as he shows her how to best leverage her own strength. Timidly, she steps closer to get a better look. He models several different escapes for her.

"Okay, darlin', now tell me. Guy comes at you from behind, what are you going to do?"

"Um, scream. Try to reach my foot up and kick him in the crotch. Elbow him in the chest and try to spin around. Go for his eyes. Run away."

"Sounds good. You ready to try it?"

"Guess so."

He nods. "Remember. It's just pretend in here. If it gets to be too much, let me know and I'll shut it down." He adjusts the room's settings a little bit, making the opponent a little smaller and weaker. No sense in giving her another panic attack on her first day. "Okay," he says, "Go."

She glances up at him, then sets off down the holographic street. A man pops up behind her. She's too scared to scream, but she does kick him with surprising force. He lets go of her and his hands move to his groin. She bolts away and comes to a stop in front of Logan. Her eyes are wide and her hands are shaking. He pats her shoulder.

"Great job, darlin'. How'd it feel?"

She shakes her head and doesn't reply. He shrugs. "Well, you don't have to like it, but you have to learn it. Do it one more time and we'll call it a day, okay?"

"Okay." She grits her teeth and does it. Logan nods approvingly. He's a little saddened by her reaction. She clearly hates it in here. He knows not everyone gets the same adrenaline rush from fighting that he does, but most of the students get a kick out of the Danger Room. But he guesses most of them aren't fighting back the kinds of flashbacks that Nori is. But, Logan thinks, _that's exactly why she needs to learn how to defend herself._

"Thanks, Logan."

He nods. "You did good. I know this ain't your cup of tea." She laughs and walks out to shower. Remy comes in as she's changing into fresh clothes.

"Where'd you disappear to, _cher_?"

"Logan took me to the Danger Room."

He raises his eyebrows. "How'd that go?"

She shakes her head. "Okay, I guess, I mean..." she zips her jeans and walks over to put her head into his chest. "It was scary," she confides, as he wraps his arms around her. "Logan says Professor Xavier says I'll feel more confident if I can learn some of this stuff."

"Makes sense," Remy says. "What'd Logan teach you?"

"If somebody grabs me from behind I should kick them in the crotch, poke them in the eyes, and run away. And scream."

"Maybe scream first, _non_?"

She laughs and pulls away from him. "Maybe. How was your afternoon?"

"Good," he says, contentedly. "Nice day out." He looks at her, wondering what the odds of getting her into bed right now are. He concludes they're low; she still seems shaken. He's glad that Logan's teaching Nori how to fight, and equally glad that he doesn't have to participate. "I'm gonna shower," he says. "Would you care to keep me company?"

She smiles up at him. "Maybe next time. I'm already clean."

"All right, _cher_," he says, good-naturedly. He sheds his clothing and struts to the bathroom. She smiles faintly at him and pulls out her laptop and headphones. She's still clicking away when he emerges from the shower and dresses.

"Working on a song?" he asks, and she nods.

"Wanna hear?"

"Course I do." She unplugs her headphones and plays the song. He doesn't really like it. "Sounds... complicated," he says, and she smiles.

"It's not really your thing, is it?"

"No," he admits. "But I'm sure it's wonderful." She laughs.

"You should write all of my reviews," she says. She looks at him closely. "Go do whatever it is you want to do. I'm going to finish tweaking this."

"All right. See you at dinner?"

"Of course." He bends down to kiss her before sweeping out of the room. He goes outside for a smoke and finds Logan, who nods at him.

"Heard you took Nori down to the Danger Room," Remy says. "How'd that go?"

Logan lets out a puff of cigar smoke. "Well, could have been worse," he says. "She didn't actually faint."

Remy quirks his mouth at that. "She's not really a fighter, _non_?"

"More'n that, LeBeau, she's terrified. Sim barely touched her and she melted down."

Remy takes a deep drag off his cigarette. "Well, she ain't had an easy time of it. And she don't have metal claws or exploding playing cards."

Logan snorts. "She wouldn't know what to do with the claws if she had 'em."

"Might make her feel safer, though. Maybe you should train her with a knife or something."

Logan sighs. "Problem with that is, what happens if somebody takes the knife away from her? Best to let her get confident with her bare hands first."

The two men smoke in silence for a few minutes, and Logan says, curiously, "How come you never taught her how to fight?"

Remy shrugs. "Magneto and Mystique tried to teach her, but she hated it and they both felt like it was a waste of time after a couple of weeks. And I... well, I didn't want to make her mad at me by bringing it up," he admits with a grin. "We just never really let her go anywhere by herself and we always figured that Magneto or Pyro or I could defend her, if it came to that." He takes a long drag off his cigarette and adds, quietly, "Guess wasn't quite true, though."

"Well, let's be honest. Given her size and her power, she's probably never going to hold her own in a fight. Even if you'd given her a combat lesson every day, she couldn't have taken on Stryker and his army. Or the FOH. I'm just hoping to give her enough tricks to get away if somebody surprises her somewhere. And give her enough confidence to quit bein' so jumpy all the time."

"Did you watch that movie 'bout her, that her friend Rachael brought?"

"The end of it," Logan says.

Remy shakes his head. "When she was just outta college she was out facing down the police at all kinds of protests. There was one clip where a cop raised his nightstick at her and she looked right at him and said, 'I dare you.' Can you imagine her doing that now?"

Logan lets out a whistle. "Stryker really did a number on her, huh?"

"Fuck Stryker," Remy says, with uncharacteristic bitterness.

"I hear that."

Logan grinds out his cigar butt on the grass, then picks it up and pockets it after it cools. Remy takes another drag. "Well, thanks for looking after Nori. Appreciate it."

Logan nods. "She's a good kid."

Remy laughs. "She's not really a kid, Logan. Only a couple years younger than me."

"Yeah, well, you're a kid too, LeBeau."

"Fair 'nough," Remy says, amiably. He stamps out his cigarette and heads in to dinner with Logan. Nori feels content, and she smiles when the two men walk in. They all chat and Nori gives no indication that a few hours ago she'd had a minor breakdown in the Danger Room.

The next morning, Logan wakes up around four after yet another shadowy nightmare in what he now knows was one of Stryker's labs. He'd shredded another blanket. At this rate, he should probably take up quilting, he muses. He gets up to pace around the mansion. Usually he heads straight down to the first floor to watch TV, but for some reason he decides to check out the second floor. He's not terribly surprised to see light from under the door of Nori's office. He sniffs the air—she's alone, so he knocks. He waits a moment and she opens the door a crack, peering out through it. When she sees him, she nods and pulls the door all the way open.

"Hey, Logan," she says. "Come in."

"Everything all right?" he asks, and she nods. She's wearing cotton boxer shorts, a tank top, and a gray cardigan sweater. For the first time he realizes that he's in flannel pants and no shirt and feels the slightest bit self-conscious about it. But she doesn't seem to mind, so he steps in and glances around. He'd never been in her office before, and he glances around. There's a desk along one wall, where she had obviously been sitting before he knocked. Papers are scattered over it, and her laptop perches at the far edge of the desk, with headphones trailing out of it.

Her office is fairly large and it also has a loveseat, an end table, a couple chairs, and a music stand. The bookshelf has a few binders on it. There are a few framed posters on the wall and he paces around, examining them. They are all extremely appropriate for her, Logan thinks. There's one with a long Woody Guthrie quote scrawled across the frame— "I hate a song that makes you think that you are not any good. I hate a song that makes you think that you are just born to lose. Bound to lose. No good to nobody. No good for nothing. Because you are too old or too young or too fat or too slim too ugly or too this or too that. Songs that run you down or poke fun at you on account of your bad luck or hard traveling. ... I am out to fight those songs to my very last breath of air and my last drop of blood…." Another simply says, "Organize!" and shows a group of small fish frightening off a large fish.

He lets out a snort of laughter at another poster, and she comes to stand next to him. The poster has a lacy, flowery, faux-Victorian feel, and in large pink script it says "The Ladies Who Feel Too Much." Below it is a list of names, including Nori's. He reaches the bottom of the poster, which has some information about RAINN, the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network. He abruptly wonders if he should have laughed at the title and glances down at Nori.

She says, "It's okay. It is meant to be funny, sort of. That was for an album I put together to raise money for RAINN. It was… I had gotten this super bitchy review of one of my albums, it said something like, 'She's another one of those ladies who feel too much, who were raped in college and now refuse to stop writing songs about their pain.' So, um, I asked some other women to contribute songs, and we put it out on my label and donated all the proceeds to RAINN."

"Huh," Logan says. He's not sure what to make of the way Nori talks about her past. She doesn't complain, but she is up front about the fact that she has suffered, in a way that is foreign to Logan. He decides to redirect. "What're you doing up so early?"

"Oh, just trying to arrange some music."

Logan raises his eyebrows. "What time's your class?"

"I don't need it for today. I just… I woke up and I couldn't fall back to sleep, so I thought I might as well be productive. What about you?"

He shrugs. "Yeah. Couldn't sleep."

She looks up into his eyes and says, "Come sit." She leads him over to the loveseat. Then she moves the end table in front of the couch and takes a jigsaw puzzle off the bottom of her bookshelf. She shakes open the puzzle and says, "Let's work on this."

"Don't think I've ever done one of these before," he says.

"First time for everything, Logan. Here, let's flip them all face up first." She offers a few quiet tips on best practices for jigsaw puzzles. Logan's eyesight is an asset in matching the exact colors.

"This is kinda fun," he says, surprised.

"Yeah. I like that it takes a little bit of mental effort, but not too much. Helps me organize my thoughts. My therapist always used to have a bunch of puzzles in her office."

He nods. "So what's on your mind, darlin'?"

She taps her nails on the table. "Had a nightmare. About Stryker. I was thinking… I…was wondering if there are other people in the government. Like him."

Logan tenses. "I think Chuck keeps an eye on that kind of thing."

"He doesn't know everything," she says, studying puzzle pieces.

"No. Guess not." He puts together most of the top left quadrant of the puzzle. He's still trying to make peace with Xavier for not telling him everything he knew about Stryker. The picture is of several brightly-colored Easter eggs. "Darlin', you know… you know if anything happens to you, we'll come after you."

She sighs. "I do make an excellent damsel in distress, it seems."

In Japanese, he tells her, _You're a strong woman. Stronger than you know._

She tilts her head and says, _Perhaps. But I think I know the boundaries of my strength. I think… I think I am near them_. She works quietly and efficiently on the puzzle. Logan doesn't know what to say, so he just searches for puzzle pieces. Nori continues picks up their conversation, saying, _Logan, I never asked. Why did you learn Japanese?_

_Spent a few years there. After Stryker wiped my memory._

_But what brought you there? You are not Japanese._

He laughs ruefully. _Plenty of Japanese told me the same thing. I don't know. It just called to me. I think I must have traveled there before I lost my memory, but… but I don't know._

Well. I don't know if I ever told you, but I'm very glad that you learned my mother tongue.

_Me too._

She hands Logan the last piece. _Here. Finish your first puzzle, Logan._

They stare at the completed puzzle for a long moment, and then Nori sweeps it back into the box with satisfaction.

"Well," Nori says, reverting to English. "I think I'll go get dressed now. Thanks for helping with my puzzle."

"Any time, darlin'," Logan says.

He stands to leave and Nori calls after him, "You know—I keep, ah, early morning office hours pretty regularly. You're welcome to stop by any time you… can't sleep."

"I just might do that." He pads downstairs to get a smoke and Nori returns to her bedroom, where Remy's still sleeping. She regards him with a brief flash of envy, then tucks herself back into bed next to him, listening to his even breathing.


	16. Chapter 16

Weeks pass relatively peacefully at the school. Logan helps Nori gain confidence with hand-to-hand combat, and Xavier helps her train her recently-discovered ability to weaken mutant powers. Logan has her fight Kitty Pryde, and without Kitty's ability to phase it's almost a fair fight. Kitty wins, but Nori put up a good struggle and didn't panic. Logan nods proudly and then sends Nori to do some more solo simulations. Summer arrives and the kids who still have homes go home, occasionally bringing a friend with them.

Everyone at the school, teacher and student, keeps a covert close eye on Remy and Nori. Everyone is impressed with how well Nori has recovered, though she's still not quite all there. They whisper stories to each other about coming into a room and finding her standing or sitting, staring at the floor. Sometimes her eyes unfocus in the middle of conversations if the topic turns unpleasant and she won't respond for a long time. Sometimes she suddenly leaves the room and come back with the tell-tale smudged eyeliner of a woman who's just been crying. And everyone has learned not to approach her from behind. A few weeks after she started teaching, Artie had snuck up on Nori while she was bent over some sheet music and playfully tried the old trick of tapping her on the shoulder from the opposite side that he tapped. Nori had shrieked and left the room. Artie had felt terrible, and Nori had been embarrassed.

But Xavier and Scott have both observed her classes and agree that she's a good teacher, and her students all enjoy class. She seems to harness every available ounce of mental reserve for those moments when her students need her. Xavier assigns an office to Nori, which she uses for private music lessons and occasional private crying fits.

One day Rogue tells Logan, "Miss Oyama's really cool and all but sometimes she's kind of spooky."

Logan, who's never been able to tell Rogue what he knows about Magneto's backup plan, sharply tells her, "She's been through a lot, kid."

"Well, so've you," Rogue says.

"Yeah, well, she remembers it. I don't." Rogue nods, not wanting to argue with Logan.

Meanwhile, the older male students can't decide who'd they'd rather idolize, Logan or Remy. They find Remy slightly less intimidating, after the initial shock of having a Bad Guy in the house wears off. And almost everyone in the house finds Remy and Nori's romance to be charming. Remy's banter can be annoying, but everyone notices the way that Remy works to protect Nori's mental health. And they flirt and joke publicly in a way that the mansion's last couple, Scott and Jean, had rarely done.

One bright Monday in June, Remy surprises Nori with a trip to Cape Cod. He's rented a small cottage called Linger Longer by the Sea, the name of which makes Nori smile. They swim and sunbathe and make love. It reminds Remy of the trip they'd taken to the Louisiana Gulf shores, after rescuing Nori from Stryker. This trip, she's nowhere near as shaken as she had been then, although she's still skittish.

They pass three perfectly lovely days, swimming and laying in the sun and making love. But Thursday morning, as Nori sits on a beach towel in front of their cottage and struggles with a copy of _Charlotte's Web_, a tall, pale man sits next to her and wraps his arm around her possessively. She looks up at him in alarm. He has red eyes, but not like Remy's. They're all red, with no pupil.

"Who are you?" she asks. "Please don't touch me," she says, before he can answer. He just smiles. She tries to pull away but he's incredibly strong. She fixes on Remy's mental signature and sends out panic. He comes running out of the house-he'd only gone in for a bottle of water-and freezes when he sees the man next to Nori.

"_Mon dieu_," he says. "No, no, no. Please, Sinister, let her go."

She looks at Remy and back at the man he's just called Sinister, and her fear intensifies. She's never seen Remy this afraid of anything.

"Mr. LeBeau," the man says. His voice is a low purr with a British accent. "I have need of your services, and I propose a trade."

"Please just let her go and we can talk," Remy says, taking a step closer.

"That's close enough, I think," the man says, and the air around them shines. She gathers he's put up some kind of shield around them. She feels oddly detached from this situation, like she's watching it on television. "The trade I propose is this. You use your considerable skills to retrieve a piece of my property that has been stolen from me. When it is returned to me, I will return Miss Oyama to you."

She looks at Remy and tries to send him a little signal of encouragement. Then she mentally turns to the stranger and tries to shut down his power. Immediately, before she can even focus on him, he grabs her hair with one hand and pulls her head straight back, and wraps his other hand around her neck, cutting off her breath completely. Her eyes widen and she tries fruitlessly to break free. Just as her vision starts to go black around the edges, Sinister lets go of her throat. He keeps the hand in her hair, though. "Don't try your tricks on me, little one," he hisses. She brings a hand up to her throat and remains perfectly still, like a rabbit on the edge of a clearing.

"_Oui, oui_, whatever you want, if I can get it, I'll get it," Remy says, looking miserable. "But deal's off if you hurt her."

"Excellent," Sinister purrs. "I need to recover a research journal of mine. It was taken from me by William Stryker."

Remy narrows his eyes. "And just where did Stryker leave it? His last lab's underwater now, you know."

"I believe it is still underground at Three Mile Island."

"_Merde_. All right. What else can you tell me about this journal of yours?"

Sinister describes the book in detail and passes Remy a map of Stryker's old base. With one long, white finger he taps a few rooms where he believes it might be. Next he passes a nondescript business card with a phone number on it and no name.

"When you have recovered my property, you may call me to arrange for our trade. Until then, I assure you, Miss Oyama will suffer no harm-so long as she does not attempt anything foolish."

"I'll get your damn journal, Sinister. But please, let me say goodbye to her," Remy pleads.

"You're free to do so."

"Let me kiss her," Remy says. "Promise, not gonna try anything stupid."

"Please," Nori whispers.

"Oh, very well," Sinister says. "But remember, if you do try anything ill-advised, it will be the lady who pays the price." He lets go of her hair and the shield dissolves. She scrambles to her feet and throws herself into Remy's arms.

He kisses her, frantically. "_Cher_," he whispers, "Promise me not to try anything with Sinister. He is _very powerful_. You just keep your head down and do what he asks you to. Within reason. Don't make him mad. I'll come back for you as soon as I can. _Je t'aime_, love you so much."

"Love you too," she whispers. "Oh, God, who is this? Are you going to be okay?"

"Don't you worry about me, _cherie_. I'll be just fine. You will too. I'll see you real soon, okay?" He kisses her again and strokes her hair.

"That's enough, I think," Sinister calls. "I believe you petitioned for one kiss, Mr. LeBeau, and now you've had twice that number." He walks forward and places a cold hand on Nori's bare shoulder. She stiffens and squeezes Remy's hand, and then she and Sinister are pulled away from the beach. They pass through something horribly cold and when they suddenly blink back into reality, in a sterile stainless steel kitchen, she falls to her knees and throws up on the floor, then shivers violently and hugs her arms to her chest. She's still in her hot pink bikini.

Sinister sighs and picks her up, almost gently. He carries her to a bedroom and sets her on the bed. He carefully wipes her mouth off with a towel and opens a drawer to pull out a set of thermal pajamas. "Child, you need to put these on." She's still shivering and doesn't respond. "Miss Oyama, if you do not put these on, I will undress you myself." Again, no response, and with a grimace, he unties her bikini top and forces her into the pajama top. He considers putting the pajama bottoms over her swimsuit, but they're damp. The last thing he needs is for this girl to get pneumonia, so he delicately sits on the bed, pulls her over his lap, and clinically changes her pants with averted eyes. Then he tucks her into bed, under a thick down comforter.

"It is rather cold here, I fear," he tells her. "I shall try to raise the temperature in here for you." She's still shivering when he returns from adjusting the thermostat, which is located in a central control room, but she looks up at him and her thoughts are more lucid. Her mind is incredibly open to him, and she's practically screaming her fear and confusion at him. It is irritating.

"Girl, I do not intend to harm you. Please calm down. It appears that you did not respond well to teleporting here. I apologize. I believe you will be fine as soon as your core temperature rises." He has to shield himself from her. Her mind is too open and emotional to deal with right now.

"I shall make you some tea, if you would like." She gives him what is perhaps the most confused look he has ever seen. "Tea. The hot beverage, made from boiling water and leaves. You do know what tea is, yes?" She nods, warily. "Would you like some?"

She swallows. "Uh, I guess so. Thank you," she whispers. At least she's polite.

He nods. "I shall return promptly. Please, remain under your blankets."

In the kitchen, he puts water on to boil and telekinetically removes her vomit from the floor. He prepares a sponge with some bleach solution and cleans the floor, then washes his hands and prepares two cups of Earl Grey tea. He carries them back down the hall to her room.

"Miss Oyama, can you sit up?" he inquires. She carefully pulls herself upright and wraps her arms around her chest. "Here," he says, proffering one of the teacups.

She gives him a ghost of a smile and takes the cup with a trembling hand. "Perhaps you had better use both hands," he says, and she follows his instruction. For a long moment she just holds the cup, clearly enjoying its warmth. Then she takes a careful sip. "It's good," she says, sounding surprised. "Thank you."

He nods. "You are welcome." She darts her eyes around the room as she sips her tea. She reminds him of a small bird. Cautiously, he lowers his shield and examines the surface of her mind. He catches the stray thought _Oh God, is this tea poisoned or something? Well, I guess if he wanted to poison me he could just do it without going to the trouble of making tea _and he gives a slight smile. She notices the smile and freezes.

"Please calm down, Miss Oyama. I did promise that you would come to no harm, and I am a man of my word."

She seems to find that amusing, and he frowns. "I may have unconventional means for getting what I want, but when I agree to a deal, I keep my end of it," he says.

"Okay," she says, gently. "That's good to know." She's no longer shivering, he notes with approval. He sips his tea and regards her. Hints of bruises are already showing around her throat, and her mind is still ringing with curiosity and fear.

"If you have questions of me, you may ask them," he says. "I cannot promise to provide answers, but no harm will come to you of asking."

Her eyes briefly flick up to meet his, and she looks back down at her tea. "What's your name?" she asks.

"I am known as Sinister."

Her mouth twitches a little and he realizes that she's _amused_. She covers her mouth and her fear spikes. "Sorry," she murmurs. "That was rude of me."

"It is all right, little one. I suppose it is a strange name to bear."

"I-is there anything else people call you?"

"In truth, few people call me anything. You may call me Dr. Essex, if you like."

She's surprised, and perhaps grateful. She smiles. "All right. Dr. Essex, then. Where are we?"

"We are in a base of mine. It is underground. There is no possible way to escape."

She laughs aloud at that, to his surprise. "I assure you, there is not."

She shakes her head. "Did you really think I was going to try to escape? Using what," she asks bitterly, "My brute strength? My amazing mutant power?" Curious, he delves into her thoughts. She resents her small stature, her non-combative mutant ability. She's extremely tired of what her life has become since she became aware of her mutant gift. She feels helpless.

"I suppose not," he says. "But your gift is quite remarkable. When you combine with an alpha class mutant like Gambit, the effect must be astounding."

"I guess so. We don't... I don't really get involved with stuff like that too much."

Her teacup is empty and he says, "Let me take that," and uses his telekinesis to set it on top of her dresser.

"Thanks," she says, with a smile. Her thoughts tell him that she's delighted by that effect.

"You are welcome. Are you hungry? I could prepare lunch."

Again he can tell that she's entertained by him, though her face remains blank. "If it's not too much trouble," she says shyly, and he shakes his head.

"Miss Oyama, you may not be here by choice, but you are my guest here. There are certain obligations a host must meet, and certainly one of them is providing adequate nutrition."

"Oh. Um. Thanks?"

He nods. "Have you any food allergies I need know about?"

"Oh... well, I'm vegetarian," she says softly, afraid of his reaction.

He nods again. "Do you eat eggs?"

"Yeah."

"Miss Oyama, do you feel capable of accompanying me on a short walk? I can show you where the kitchen is."'

"Yeah, I feel better," she says. She climbs out of bed and winces when her bare feet touch the cold metal floor.

"Ah. Let me get you some socks and shoes," he says, and opens a dresser drawer.

She pulls on the socks he offers, and then says, haltingly, "Did you... where did all these clothes come from?"

"I acquired them in anticipation of your arrival. There are also some books and magazines available that you may enjoy."

She's oddly touched, and also... something in her is angry about books. He clicks through her mind and realizes that her ability to read has been damaged by an injury the FOH have given her. _Interesting_, he thinks. _A problem to solve._

"Thank you," she says softly.

He shakes his head. "I could not very well have you running around in a swimsuit, could I? Nor do I think any of my clothes would fit." He's a foot and a half taller than her and at least twice her weight.

"No, I suppose not," she says, with a tiny smile. "How-how long do you think it will take for Remy to get your journal?" she blurts out, then flinches.

"Miss Oyama, I told you that I would not harm you in response to a question. And I do not blame you for asking that one. I am not sure. Perhaps a week. I am sure that he is working as quickly as possible."

She hesitates, then asks, "Um, if you can teleport and all, how come you need Remy to steal something for you?"

He shakes his head. "With Stryker, nothing is so simple as that." He leads her out into the hallway and can feel her debating about whether or not to ask her next question.

"Will Remy be all right?" she asks in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Probably," he says. "He is the person best suited to this task. He is extremely competent."

She smiles, a little, to hear her lover praised, though she's still a little anxious about his reply of "probably." He adds, not unkindly, "If Remy is killed in his attempt to recover my property, I shall return you to the X-Men."

"Oh. Thank you." She sounds dazed. The kitchen is fairly standard, if heavy on the stainless steel. There's a table and four chairs-though Miss Oyama is the first visitor he's had here, a counter, a stove, a fridge. All the modern appliances. Mainly the pantry is stocked with canned and frozen goods, though occasionally he teleports out to acquire fresh food.

"Perhaps tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches?" he suggests, knowing it to be a popular American comfort dish.

She smiles. "That sounds great. Do you want help with anything?"

"No, I believe I am quite capable of preparing this myself. But thank you for offering." She nods. She pulls her knees up to her chest and perches on one of the kitchen chairs, watching him.

"So, are you from England?" she asks.

"Yes."

"Do you still live there? I mean, you know, usually, I'm not trying to ask where we are now, or whatever."

"Yes," he says. "I spend the majority of my time in England."

"And what do you do, Dr. Essex? Are you like a medical doctor, or...?"

He lets out a sharp laugh. "I am a medical doctor, though I have not practiced in quite some time. I am also a geneticist, and I devote most of my time to studying the mutant genome."

"Oh. Cool. Do you... work at a lab, or, um, what?"

"I work alone."

She nods. He brings her a bowl of soup and a sandwich, then brings his own food to the table. She politely waits until he is settled before she starts eating. She's the most courteous hostage he's ever had. Now that most of her anxiety has dissipated, he won't mind having her around. It's so tiring when his captives plead and scream.

She eats her meal slowly and he politely waits for her to finish. Then he loads the dishwasher and says, "You are welcome to do what you like, Miss Oyama. I'm afraid there is not much in the way of entertainment here, although like I said earlier, I have placed a few items in your room that you may enjoy."

"Um, thank you," she says. She cautiously returns to her bedroom, and a moment later she resurfaces in the kitchen, her eyes bright.

"Dr. Essex?"

"Yes?"

"Th-that's a Stradivarius in my room. Isn't it."

He nods. "Yes. I read that you played violin. You do, correct?"

"Yes. But... I mean... oh my God. I've never... are you sure it's okay if I play it?"

He looks at her as if she's dim-witted. "Of course. Why else would I have put it in your room?"

"I mean... well, it's really valuable, you know."

He shrugs. "I trust you know the proper way to treat an instrument, do you not?" 

She nods. "Of course." She gives him a wide smile. "Well... thank you for lending it to me."

"You are welcome. I rarely play it anyway." Her eyebrows lift at that, and she nods at him as she returns to her room. Soon after he hears rich music coming down the hallway. Her empathic projections are calm, happy. He chose well, giving her the instrument. It should keep her content and occupied. And he is surprised to hear that she is talented.

At dinner she asks him for rosin for the violin's bow, and he promises to acquire some for her. She's surprised that he hadn't had any. As far as he can tell, she's more intrigued and upset about the violin that he'd had tucked away in storage than anything else about him.

Beginning to lose patience, he reminds her, "If you have a question, simply ask."

"Well... just... why would you buy such an expensive violin if you don't play it regularly?"

He shrugs. "I bought it a long time ago. It was not so expensive then, but it seemed like a good investment. I thought perhaps I would dedicate more time to studying violin, but I never pursued it seriously."

Her eyebrows raise. "How long ago did you buy it?"

"Perhaps a hundred years ago."

"How old _are_ you?" she asks, softly.

"About a hundred and fifty. Give or take."

"Are you... how is that possible?"

"It was a gift given to me by a being known as Apocalypse."

"Who is that?"

He shakes his head. "Little one, it is best if you know nothing about him."

"Okay," she whispers. "So, I mean... do you get lonely?" she asks, earnestly.

"No," he says flatly.

"Oh. Okay."

_This girl is in over her head_, he thinks, distinctly.

Out of curiosity, he takes a vial of her blood while she sleeps, telepathically ensuring that she doesn't wake while he does it. He studies her DNA in his lab and considers. He wonders if her ability would work on herself, if she were to acquire another mutant gift. He could easily provide her with one. He busies himself with the altering her DNA. He doesn't have to give it to her, he reasons. It is simply an intellectual activity.

Nori mainly plays violin and occasionally stretches and meditates. She's a very peaceful presence in his base, though her emotions always have a small undercurrent of worry. At mealtimes she makes cautious attempts at conversation with him. He reads her thoughts and realizes that she's having trouble reconciling the fearful warning Remy gave her about him with his polite exterior. _Well_, he thinks, _Gambit was certainly right to fear me. But she is correct, too, in that I will keep my word to cause her no harm. _

On her fourth night in his base, he senses a great spike in her power and teleports into her room.

"What, exactly, are you doing?" he hisses.

Half-asleep, she murmurs, "Looking for Remy."

He shakes her, once, and she blinks. "Gambit is not here," he reminds her. "He is out on a mission."

She nods, and he peers into her mind. He finds a half-formed plan to see how far her power can go, remembering how she had managed to reach Charles Xavier in her time of need.

"This is no time to play around with your power, girl. What if you found him and succeeded in magnifying his ability? It could imperil his mission."

She covers her mouth with her hand. "Sorry," she says. Unspoken, he hears, _I just miss him_.

He shakes his head. "You have only been separated from him for four days. Do not be melodramatic, and do not attempt to locate him with your power again. Please, get some sleep."

She nods. "Sorry," she repeats.

"Good night, Miss Oyama."

"Night."

After that, she cries into her pillow. It's the first time she's cried since he's taken her hostage, which he finds somewhat surprising. He considers the girl's power and realizes that her empathy may actually be valuable from an evolutionary perspective. She doesn't have any power to protect herself, but her projective empathy makes those around her want to protect her. It even seems to be working on him, and he is emotionless. He continues his work on her DNA.

Meanwhile, Remy is in Pennsylvania, trying to find out as much as possible about Three Mile Island's current security. He'd called Xavier and tersely explained the situation. Xavier had urged him to return to New York and accept help from his teammates, but Remy had refused. This was his battle, not theirs. And none of them had the skills Remy had. Xavier had doubtfully agreed, but asked Remy to try to keep his mind clear so Xavier could check in with him telepathically. He also offered to look for Sinister with Cerebro, but Remy had begged him not to. Xavier doesn't know what Sinister is like, what he'll do to Nori. But he also does believe—has to believe—that he'll keep his word and leave Nori alone, so long as Remy comes through.

Remy's a little ashamed at how excited he is to have a job, even if it's for Sinister. Life with the X-Men has more or less deprived him of two of his favorite sources of adrenaline, gambling and stealing. He enjoys the meticulous work of casing Stryker's old base, and he looks forward to the thrill of outsmarting the guards and finding his goal. Guiltily, he even enjoys flirting with a female security guard during her lunch break. She isn't especially pretty, and she clearly relishes the attention. But he misses Nori's unselfconscious delight in his pickup lines, even when she grows frustrated with him. He misses her, full stop. Tomorrow, he thinks he will be ready to infiltrate the island. He should have all the information he needs about the security system, and if he doesn't, well, he's got his bo staff.

On her fifth day with Sinister, Nori experiments in the kitchen and makes some kind of spiced pumpkin bread. Sinister can't remember the last time a woman baked for him. Likely it was his late wife. He smiles at her obvious pleasure in the recipe's success, and he finds that he enjoys her baking. It has a strong, pleasant flavor, not too sweet. He decides that he will grant the girl a boon, one he knows she'd never ask for, but one that he's seen in her mind's eye.

That night while she sleeps, he sedates her and carries her to his lab. He straps her to an examination table and injects her with the modified DNA strand he'd been working on. Then he sits and waits. Within twenty minutes her temperature is elevated. Her body is fighting off what it perceives to be an infection. Her new DNA is replicating and eradicating the old, weak DNA. An hour after the injection her temperature is at 39 degrees centigrade and her whole body is trembling. He covers her forehead with a cool washcloth and lowers the room's temperature. Two hours in, her body burns through the sedative and she moans.

"Calm down, Miss Oyama. You have a fever, but I am treating you for it. You will be fine soon enough."

"Hurts," she whispers. "Oh, oh God." He frowns. He hadn't intended for this to be painful.

"I will get you a dose of painkillers," he says. He holds her arm still and injects her. Her empathy is radiating strong confusion and anxiety. He forces himself not to put up a shield; he wants to monitor her closely. Her fever rises and she starts convulsing. Had he miscalculated? Sinister never made mistakes of that nature. He gives her some liquid ibuprofen to bring down her fever and watches her with a hint of worry. Four hours in, her fever breaks and she lays still, limp and sweaty. She sleeps, and Sinister relaxes. Of course his procedure would work. Six hours in, she's still sleeping, but all the objects in her immediate vicinity begin to levitate. He smiles, sharply. Eight hours in she wakes up suddenly. She plunges directly into his mind. Sinister winces. He hadn't had a shield up, and it has been quite some time since a telepath has entered his mind, especially one so clumsy as Miss Oyama.

Gently, he forces her back out. She looks up at him, wild-eyed. "You-you gave me telepathy?" The medical supplies on the table are circling her now, but she doesn't seem to notice.

"Yes," he says. "And telekinesis. You are welcome."

"What?" Her empathy sends him outrage and confusion. "Why would you think I would want this?"

He frowns. "Have you forgotten that I can read your mind? You have wished for stronger mutant powers since you got here. I should think you would be pleased."

The objects circling her slow down, and drop. She jerks at the restraints holding her to the exam table, and he telekinetically opens them for her. "My apologies. Those were simply to prevent you from hurting yourself during the procedure."

She sits up and hugs her knees into the chest. She weeps, to Sinister's extreme irritation.

"Come, child, this is what you have wished for. Now you can protect yourself with your ability. Now you are a mutant worth reckoning with. Though, I must warn you, you are still not match for me."

She cries for a few more minutes, then takes a shuddering breath. "You're right," she whispers. "I... I did want this." She projects guilt.

"Miss Oyama, there is no reason you should feel guilt for wishing for stronger mutant abilities. Until now, you have been physically weak. Now you are a superior being."

She laughs and cries at the same time. "I-is this permanent?"

"Yes." He could undoubtedly reverse the process if he wished, but he does not. "Your new abilities are now a part of your genetic structure."

She looks down at her hands wonderingly. "Well... well, thank you, I guess, Dr. Essex." She's still hesitant, but she seems to be warming up to the idea.

"You are welcome," he says. "Now, how are you feeling?"

"Um, okay, I guess."

"Excellent. Let us leave the laboratory, then. You may wish to shower, and then you should eat."

She nods and carefully steps down from the exam table. In her room, she cleans the sweat off herself and cries quietly. Experimentally she tries to levitate her shampoo bottle. It falls to the ground under the weight of the water falling from her shower. _Great,_ she thinks. _I'm not even a very good telekinetic._ She dresses herself in fleece pants and a sweatshirt and joins Dr. Essex in the kitchen. He's scrambling eggs. The surreality of her situation strikes her and she laughs hysterically.

"Are you quite all right, Miss Oyama?" he asks, a bit confused.

"It's just-" she gasps for air. "I don't know, you're some kind of like, vampire mad scientist, and you're just, you know, scrambling some eggs." She covers her hand with her mouth and laughs, rocking a little in her chair.

"First of all, I am not a vampire, nor am I mad. Second of all, of course I have to eat, like any other person." Not quite like any other person-his healing factor allows him to go quite a long time without eating, but it isn't pleasant.

She smiles up at him. "Of course. It's just... it's just... my life is so _weird_ these days."

"I suppose your life has changed quite dramatically since your mutant ability manifested."

She snorts. "Yeah."

He hands her a plate with toast, a banana, and a sizable quantity of scrambled eggs. She raises her eyebrows.

"Do try to eat all of that, Miss Oyama. It is important to keep your strength up."

She finds that she is actually hungry and manages to eat most, but not all, of her breakfast. He nods approvingly.

After breakfast she asks, "Would... could you help me? With my new powers?"

"Certainly." They focus on telekinesis. He helps her channel her energy and focus on single items, rather than weakly trying to lift everything in her radius. She beams at him as she raises a spoon high over her head.

"Like the Matrix," she says. He glances into her mind and discovers that she's referring to a movie. "This is so _cool_."

"I am happy you are enjoying your new gift."

In the afternoon he takes a small sample of her blood leaves her to practice on her own while he studies his project. Obviously, it was successful, given her display this morning, but he wants to make sure it's staying stable on a molecular level. He's pleased with his work. He's even more pleased when his satellite phone rings late that night. It's Gambit, informing him of his success. He goes to wake Nori.

"Wake up, little one. Gambit has fulfilled his mission. We are going to rendezvous with him."

She smiles broadly at that and he's almost overwhelmed by the joy her empathy projects. She scrambles out of bed, wearing the thermal pajamas he'd dressed her in the day he took her. "Let, let me just put on some shoes," she says.

"Of course. You are welcome to change your clothes, if you would like. I will wait in the hallway."

She pulls on shoes and socks and throws a sweatshirt on over her pajamas, then goes out in the hall to join Dr. Essex. He's carrying a black suitcase.

"Are you ready?" he asks. "I suspect you will find teleporting slightly easier this time, though you may still suffer ill effects." She grimaces.

"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess."


	17. Chapter 17

Sinister puts a hand on her shoulder and pulls them out of his base. They pass through something cold and unpleasant and resurface in a rather nice hotel room. Again, Nori collapses to her knees and immediately throws up on the carpet. But this time, Remy bends down next to her and pulls her hair out of her face.

"Hey, _cher_, thought you'd be happy to see me," he says, softly.

She makes a weak sound and leans against him, awkwardly. He sighs and picks her up, away from her puke. He limps as he carries her to the room's king-size bed, which is soft and warm.

"Thought you said you weren't gonna hurt her," he says to Sinister, levelly.

"I cannot be held accountable if Miss Oyama is not accustomed to teleportation. She will be fine in a few minutes. Now. I have held up my end of the bargain. Where is yours?"

Remy reaches inside his duster and produces a thick leather volume. Sinister pulls it toward him with his telekinesis and flips through it quickly.

"Excellent," he purrs. "Always a pleasure doing business with you, Gambit."

"Wish I could say the same to you, Sinister," Gambit says, then wishes he had kept his mouth shut.

But Sinister just lets out a bark of laughter and disappears. Remy shakes his head and goes to check on Nori. He wipes her mouth with a washcloth and brings over a bottle of water. He props her up in his arms and makes her take small sips of water. She relaxes into his arms and stops shivering.

"Missed you," she whispers.

He strokes her hair. "_Oui_? Here I was afraid you'd leave me for Sinister." She laughs, weakly. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" Remy asks, anxiously.

"No, he... Remy, it was so weird, he..."

"He what?"

"He was pretty nice to me. And then he..." she bites her lip and shakily levitates the water bottle.

Remy stares. "You let him experiment on you?" he asks, his voice hard.

"I didn't let him, he just did it," she whispers. "While I was sleeping. But he... he thought he was doing me a favor. He said... he could tell from my mind that it was what I wanted. And... and I guess it kind of was. I don't know. It's so strange," she says, drowsily. "How are you? Was everything, um, okay?"

He shakes his head softly. "Let's talk about this later." He's furious and terrified at the idea that Nori owes Sinister a favor. How can she be so naive?

"Are you angry at me?" she asks, sounding on the verge of tears.

He kisses her forehead. "Course not," he says, though he is, a little. "I'm angry at Sinister."

"Oh," she says. She relaxes further into him and falls asleep. He holds her, but is too agitated to sleep. What exactly has Sinister done to her? At what price? And what is Sinister going to do with that journal? Finally, he gently slides out from under her and lays her over a pillow. It's a sign of how exhausted she is from her ordeal that that maneuver works on the normally light-sleeping Nori.

He goes to clean the floor from where Nori had gotten sick earlier, and notices warily that Sinister had left his suitcase. With great dread he opens it and finds Nori's pink swimsuit and a violin. He opens the violin case and discovers... a violin. Remy has no idea what to make of it.

He has a lot of energy to burn. He wants to go spar someone, but the idea's out of the question at the moment. Instead he sits at the room's desk and shuffles cards, practicing elaborate passes and throws to amuse himself. Perhaps an hour passes and he notices Nori's mental presence wake up. She props herself up on an elbow and watches him.

"Hey, _cher_," he says.

"What time is it?"

"Maybe three."

"Are you okay, Remy?"

He nods, automatically. She pulls herself out of bed and crosses the room. She nimbly sits up on the desk, scattering his cards. She looks troubled.

"Remy, who is Sinister? How do you know him?"

He looks down. "He is some kind of scientist... likes to experiment on mutants. He's immortal or something. He... he's asked me to steal for him before. When I was still with the T'ieves Guild. But I had no idea he would come back to me," he says. "I swear, _cher_. I thought he was finished with me."

"Oh, no, I didn't think you did. I just... you seemed so afraid of him, but he was really... he... he was pretty nice to me. I..." she sighs and wordlessly pushes her emotions at him. Images come through too, of her and Sinister talking about music, of Sinister bringing her tea.

"_Cher_, did he give you telepathy, too?"

"Oh. Yeah. But I haven't really used it much." She sends him the memory of her waking up and realizing she has new senses and jumping into Sinister's mind. He's intrigued. Together they study Sinister's memories.

"See?" she says. "I swear, he just... he just did it as a favor or something, without asking me."

"Strange," Remy says. "Sinister never does anything for nothing."

"Do you think he'll come back?"

She doesn't seem particularly nervous about it. Remy gives a small, elegant shudder and says, "Hope not." Nori rubs his shoulders. "Can you read my mind, _cherie_?" Remy asks suddenly.

"I don't know," she says. "I'm... aware of you in a way that I wasn't before. But I-I don't want to just jump in your head the way I did before. That kind of hurt him. Don't want to hurt you."

"But right now, you can't tell what I'm thinking?"

"No." She looks at him playfully. "What _are_ you thinking that you're so worried about me hearing?"

He bites his lip. "I... _cher_, do you want to talk about this now?"

"Yes," she says. "But you can call a time out if you want."

He laughs. "Well, truth be told, guess I'm just not thrilled about the idea of you reading my thoughts all the time. I mean, or anyone, but..."

Her empathy sends him a flash of hurt, as does her crestfallen face. "I wouldn't! I didn't even want to be a telepath. I don't like the idea either. I... I know Xavier can teach me how to control it. To not look."

He smiles. "Of course, _cher_. I just..." He trails off and tries, hesitantly, to project an image at her.

She flinches a little. "I can't... I don't think that's working. It's fuzzy."

"I don't want you to be disappointed in me," he whispers, barely audible.

She kisses his forehead. "Never, love. I already know you. Love you." He still looks unhappy, and she gently climbs off the desk and sits across his lap. "Baby, neither of us is thrilled about this telepathy thing, I promise, but we're just gonna have to make do. And, look on the bright side. I've got a new party trick," she says, closing her eyes and using her telekinesis to stack Remy's cards into a deck.

"Very nice, _cher_," he says. He wraps his arms around her. "Sorry," he says.

She shakes her head. "Baby, you've been my rock for the last two years. You're allowed to be upset about this. It's upsetting." She rests her cheek against his shoulder.

"I just don't trust Sinister," he says. "I don't... I don't like that he's changed you."

"Remy, what was I supposed to do? I was unconscious. And anyway, you saw what happened when I tried to fight him," she says, rubbing her throat lightly.

"No, no,_ cher_, I don't blame you. I'm just... uneasy."

She shrugs. "Nothing we can do about it, love. No point in borrowing trouble. When we get back to the mansion maybe Hank can figure something out, or the Professor."

He sighs. "Just not used to feeling... so helpless."

Her laughter rings out, a little bitterly. "Welcome to my world."

"Let's go to bed, _cherie_."

"Let's." She gracefully rolls off his lap and returns to bed. She frowns as she sees Remy limping toward her. "Remy, you're hurt!"

"Just twisted my ankle," he says. "Ain't nothin' I can't handle."

"You poor thing," she clucks. "Did you have to run far with it?"

"Little ways."

"Come here and let me kiss it." He joins her in bed and she leans forward and lightly kisses his ankle. Then she returns and kisses his lips, and he reciprocates. Then she sighs and pulls away. "Tired," she admits.

"S'late," Remy says. He seems to have burned through his adrenaline somehow and now feels on the point of exhaustion.

"Look," she says, drowsily. She waves her hand and the room's lights turn off. "Yay!"

He laughs. "Well, that is handy." She curls up tightly and he wraps an arm around her. They fall asleep quickly, and they sleep late. In the morning they gently make love and silently forgive each other for the unpleasantness of the previous evening. Afterward, they lie together and reflect. Remy strokes her hair and murmurs, "_Ma mie_, if there is one person I trust with telepathy, it's you."

She laughs. "Well, I think Dr. Essex made me a pretty lame telepath, so you probably don't have to worry about it."

"Dr. Essex?" Remy asks, his eyebrows raised.

"Well... I couldn't just call him Sinister. To his face? That is not a name for a person."

"He's earned it," Remy says, and the pain and spite in his voice make Nori gasp.

"What did he do to you?" she asks. "Please tell me."

"He..." Remy sucks his teeth. "I was so..." She lightly rubs her hand up and down his arm and waits. "_Cherie_, I want to tell you but it... will you try to read my mind now?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," he says firmly. "You should know."

"All right," she says, unsteadily. She places her hand on his cheek and closes her eyes. She gently reaches out to his mind. She knows his mental signature well, from her empathy, but now it feels different. Before it seemed to her like a shining pearl, with no entrance point. Now it's more like... a maze? She cautiously enters and glances around.

_Here_, Remy thinks, and she's hit by a memory. In a tunnel... so many dying, and Remy confused and horrified. Sinister is there, and Sabretooth... she watches Remy pick up a little girl and run out, and keep running.

Tears run down her cheeks and she strokes his hair. Tears shine in his eyes, too.

"Oh my God, Remy, that's so awful. I... why would he do that?"

"I don't know, _cher_. He lied to me about the whole thing. Told me he wanted me to help save them. But," he says, bitterly, "Clearly he had other ideas."

"Awful," she murmurs. Her empathy is uneasy. Troubled at having trusted Sinister, at having accepted this gift from him. She kisses Remy's cheek and focuses her love on him.

At that, he lets out a sob and clutches her. "Never told anyone," he says, brokenly. "Didn't... couldn't..."

Nori has a little flash of insight. "Oh, Remy, you didn't think I would blame you?"

He says nothing, but tightens his grip on her. "But you didn't know. You tried to help them."

"You know, because you saw my memory. But if you didn't... and you just knew about my past, and heard that story... would you believe that I didn't know?"

"Of course," she says, staunchly.

He runs a hand down her smooth, tear-streaked cheek. "Well, now, maybe _you _would," he says, tenderly. "But most people wouldn't. I... sometimes I don't even know if I believe it. How could I have been such an idiot?"

"You cannot blame yourself, Remy," she says, fiercely. "You must forgive yourself."

"How can I?" he whispers. "None of them are alive to forgive me."

"What about that girl you saved?"

"I... I don't know."

She shakes her head. "You cannot take on too much responsibility." She looks him in the eye. "How long have you been carrying this around with you?"

"A... a long time. It was right after I left New Orleans. I was pretty low, then."

"Twenty years?" she asks, incredulously. "Twenty years and you never told anyone?" He shakes his head no, and she lays her face on his chest and weeps. She's beyond words. She tries to make sure she's not using her telepathy, only her empathy, and she sends him inexpressible sorrow and forgiveness. He clings to her like a drowning man and they lie together for a long time.

"My sweet girl," he says, finally. "Thank you."

She strokes his face gently and gives him a sad smile. "Remy LeBeau, you are the best thing that's happened to me in quite some time. You think I'm going to let you drown yourself in guilt? Then where would I be?"

He laughs and kisses her forehead.

She adds, "This guy I know once told me that in life, you gotta play the hand you're dealt."

"Sounds like a smart man."

"And extremely handsome," she adds. She kisses him, softly. "I'm starving. Let's get breakfast."

"You always know just what to say, _cher_."

They sit up and Nori says, glancing down at her pajamas, "Oh. You don't have my clothes, do you?"

"Your bag's still in the trunk," he says. "I can go get it. Or we can get room service."

"Ooh, let's do that. So fancy," she says.

He calls and orders pancakes and a vegetarian omelet and coffee and tea. They lie in bed and eat and watch VH1.

"This is nice," she says, simply.

"It is," he agrees.

She smiles widely as she telekinetically moves their empty plates to the door, one at a time so she doesn't drop them. Then she curls up against Remy and sighs.

"We should go back," she says softly.

"I know." Neither of them makes any attempt at moving. Remy's cell phone rings. He glances at it and picks up. "Yes? … Yes, he brought her back. … Yes, she's... okay. … I'll explain when we get back. … Soon. … _Adieu._"

She sighs. "We should go," she repeats, and this time she stands up. She rubs toothpaste on her finger and rinses her mouth out, and she combs out her hair with her fingers. She ties her shoes and looks up at Remy. "Well, I'm ready."

He laughs and takes his time getting dressed while she watches a reality show he doesn't quite understand. When he feels appropriately polished, he shoves his stuff into his duffel bag and grabs it.

"Okay, _cher_, we can go."

She nods at the black suitcase. "That yours, too?"

He glances at her. "I thought it was yours."

"You said my bag was in the car. That's not mine."

He lays it on the bed and opens it, revealing her swimsuit and violin.

"Oh. Oh my God. Dr. Essex left that here? Oh my _God_."

"What's wrong, _cherie_?"

Her voice is unsteady as she says, "That violin is worth like two million dollars, Remy."

He whistles. "Well, take it. You deserve it."

"It... it feels wrong to take a gift like that. From him."

"Better you have it than him."

"I suppose. He didn't even play it." She sounds scandalized, and Remy laughs.

"You are the sweetest girl," he says, fondly.

She stands up and gently picks up the violin. "Will you put my swimsuit in your bag?" He nods and takes it. They leave Sinister's black suitcase behind. As they walk through the hotel lobby, and Nori practices using her telepathy to silently tell Remy, _You look like a rock star and I look like an underage busker._ Unfortunately, doing so opens her to the thoughts of everyone in the lobby. She gasps aloud and stumbles. Remy tightens his arm around her and she forces her shield back up.

"You okay?" he whispers.

She nods, tight-lipped.

In the parking garage, she takes her bag out of the trunk and covertly changes out of her thermal shirt into a tank top. It's warmer here than it was Essex's basement, or wherever.

Remy smiles and runs his thumb over the crow tattooed on her shoulder. "Let's go home, _ma mie_." They're about a four hour drive from the mansion, mostly through the strangely desolate middle of Pennsylvania. Remy drives and Nori fidgets with the radio, cradling her new violin on her lap.


	18. Chapter 18

When they pull up at the mansion, Logan materializes in front of the house before they make it in the front door. Nori pulls him into a hug.

"Good to have you back, darlin'," he says.

"Good to be back," she replies with a smile. He looks at her uneasily.

"You okay? You're... different."

"Yeah, I am. Again," she says, with a roll of her eyes. "I think we'll explain to everyone together. Easier."

He nods. "All right. But you're okay?"

"Never better."

"You brought your violin on a trip to the beach?" he asks, looking at her hands.

"Nope, it was a parting gift from my kidnapper."

Logan stares at her for a few seconds. "Huh," he says.

"I know, right? Who does that?" She shrugs. "I'm going to go put on some real pants and talk to the Professor. Seeya, Logan." She strides into the mansion. Remy lifts his eyebrows at Logan and follows her inside. Rogue and Bobby are in the living room and enthusiastically greet Remy and Nori. Based on their reaction, Nori thinks that they were missed, but that Xavier hasn't told the kids where they've really been. She guesses that's good. Belatedly, she realizes she could have used her telepathy, but she'd really rather make blind conjectures than go poking around in the minds of high school kids.

In their bedroom she carefully places the violin in the top shelf of their closet. Then she wriggles out of her pajama pants and into a pair of dark gray jeans. She peers at herself in the mirror and is evidently content. "Let's go talk to Xavier," she says. He takes her elbow and they approach his office door.

_Come in_, he says, and they sit across from him.

"Nori, how-oh," he says, realizing that she's changed. "Oh my."

"I _know_," she says.

"What happened?"

"Apparently, Sinister thought it would be a good idea to alter my DNA and bestow upon me the gifts of telepathy and telekinesis. He told me that now... I'm a superior being."

"Do you feel all right?"

"It's fucking weird," she says, "But I don't feel sick or anything. He did a blood test and said it's stable." She shrugs.

"Well. This is quite unexpected."

"I _know_."

"Other than your... new DNA, are you all right? Physically?"

"Fine," she says. "Oh, also, he gave me a three-hundred-year-old violin that I think I should probably get insured. Or possibly report as a stolen good. I'm not sure."

Xavier laughs, gently. "We can look into that later. Remy, how are you?"

"Just fine."

"He's not, he's been limping," Nori says.

Remy looks irritated, and Xavier nods. "Hank can check you out in the medbay later."

Remy and Nori fill Xavier in on Three Mile Island and Sinister's lab. Nori seems remarkably unscathed, and Remy seems protective, but coping. Xavier follows them down to the medbay. Hank is already waiting for them.

"Oh my stars and garters," he says, when Nori explains what Sinister had done. "That is... highly unethical. But remarkable. Nori, would you permit me to run a few tests on you?"

"Be my guest."

He connects her arm to a machine and asks her to use her telekinesis. She closes her eyes and levitates Hank's coffee mug.

"Fascinating. And you are quite sure that you never had this ability before?"

"If I had had this before I never, ever would have had to climb up on chairs to get things off high shelves."

Hank smiles. "I suppose not." He studies the machine's readout, and Nori leans forward in anticipation.

"What does it say?"

"It's a normal readout. It does not appear that using telekinesis puts any undue stress on your system."

"Oh! Good. I never thought of that," she says, covering her mouth with her hand.

"Likely you would have experienced pain or discomfort upon using your new ability if it were in conflict with your body."

She nods, wide-eyed. Hank shakes his head. "It was incredibly irresponsible of Dr. Essex to perform this procedure on you without your consent, and without giving you any post-treatment care."

"He, um, did a blood test or something the next day and said it was stable. I was too... I didn't ask a lot of questions, I guess. He said it was permanent so I just..." she shrugs.

"Sinister ain't the kind of guy who offers a lot of explanations," Remy says, moodily.

"From what you have said, and what I have seen in your mind, it truly does not seem that he had any dark purpose in performing this procedure on you, Nori," Xavier says.

Remy scoffs. "There's a reason he's called Sinister."

"What's done is done, Remy. If it turns out there's something wrong with me, we'll deal with it."

Remy nods, though his face is still stormy. She smiles up at him and uses her empathy to send reassurance. Hank gently takes a vial of Nori's blood and puts it in the refrigerator. He covers the small puncture with a Band-aid.

"I'd like to do some bloodwork," Hank says, "But it will take some time. Based on what I've seen, I believe you are in good physical health."

"Hooray," she says.

"Nori, I would like to do some work with you and your telepathy. But perhaps tomorrow?" Xavier says.

"Sure. Okay, now will somebody please get Remy an ACE bandage or something? I swear to God his ankle is the size of a grapefruit," Nori says, crossing her arms over her chest.

Hank lifts his eyebrows. "Remy, may I examine your ankle?"

"It's fine," Remy says dismissively.

Nori glares at him and he sighs and pulls himself up on the exam table, sticking his legs straight out and rolling up the cuff of his left pant leg.

"Hmm," Hank says. "This may hurt." Nori stands next to Remy and takes his hand as Hank gently stretches, rotates, and prods Remy's ankle. He hisses quietly and Nori squeezes his hand.

"I believe it is just a sprain, but I'd like to X-ray it to be sure," Hank says.

"If you must," Remy says. He rolls to his feet.

"Remy, would you like some crutches?" Hank asks. Remy shakes his head, dismissively. Nori wraps her arm around his waist and lets him lean on her as he limps to the next room. Then she waits outside with Hank while the X-ray is taken.

"He's so stubborn," Nori sighs.

Hank smiles. "I'm sure you can persuade him to follow my instructions."

"I'll see what I can do." The X-ray machine buzzes and Hank opens the door. Nori wraps her arm around Remy again.

"I can walk just fine," Remy says.

"Well, so can I. I just like touching you," Nori says. Remy laughs and puts his arm around her shoulder.

They walk back out to the main room of the medbay. Hank hangs Remy's X-ray up and studies it.

"Not broken," Hank says. "But it is badly sprained. I recommend that you stay off it for at least a week and keep it elevated when possible." He opens a drawer and pulls out an air splint. "You should wear this for a few weeks. I must warn you that if you do not, you will probably require a cast later on."

Remy shrugs. "Whatever you say, doctor." Hank gently coats Remy's foot with talcum powder and slides the air splint over it. Then he inflates it, and Remy watches in dismay as his foot turns into something resembling a pool toy.

"Sweet, your foot looks space age," Nori says. Remy glowers.

Hank provides Remy with a small bottle of Tylenol-3. "You can take these for the first few days. After they run out, you can probably transition to regular Tylenol, but do let me know if the pain continues to be excessive."

Nori levitates a bottle of water over to Remy. He pulls it out of the air and takes a couple pills.

"Can I assist either of you with anything further?" Hank asks. Nori and Remy glance at each other, then shake their heads.

"Then I suggest you go upstairs and eat dinner. And Remy, do remember to stay off your foot as much as possible."

"Yes, doctor," Remy says.

"Let's go eat," Nori says, wrapping her arm around Remy.

"Okay," They walk slowly up to the dining hall. Nori has Remy's shoe tucked under her arm.

"This boot is ridiculous," Remy says.

"Make it work, LeBeau. Maybe get some parachute pants to match."

In the dining hall, she makes Remy sit by the door and brings him a plate. She carries it with her hands, unsure about using her new powers in front of the students. Logan, Ororo, Marie, and Bobby join them.

"What's with the airbag, Cajun?" Logan asks, nodding at Remy's foot.

He grimaces. "Hank wants me to wear it for a few weeks."

"What happened to your foot?" Bobby asks.

"Ah, I tried to jump over something, and I didn't quite make it."

"You guys weren't really at the beach. Were you?" Marie asks, taking in Remy and Nori.

"We were," Nori says. "Mostly." She takes a bite of salad nonchalantly.

Marie and Bobby look at them and find no further answers forthcoming. "Are you guys okay?" Marie asks, softly.

"I'm fine," Nori says. "Remy's grumpy that he can't wear matching shoes for a couple of weeks."

Everyone at the table looks at her skeptically. "Look, I promise, I'm fine. Is it so surprising?" No one answers, and she makes an exasperated face. "What-ever. Did we miss anything while we were gone?"

"Not really," Bobby says.

"Must have been pretty boring around here without the two of us," Remy says. Nori laughs, hiding her mouth behind her hand.

Logan snorts. "Yeah, LeBeau. It's been real difficult without you around. Don't know how we made it." He glances at Nori, who can usually be counted on to deflate Gambit's ego, but she's looking at him fondly. He rolls his eyes. The Cajun's too charming for his own good.

"So... how was the beach?" Marie ventures.

"It was pretty," Nori says. "I don't know. Sand, water, the usual. Seagulls. I love them."

"You actually like seagulls?" Bobby asks.

"They know what they want and they just go for it, man. And I like the way their heads are shaped."

"She's not kidding. She spent hours feeding them," Remy says.

"I like pigeons, too. I think I was the only person in New York who liked them."

"Pigeons spread disease," Bobby blurts.

Nori rolls her eyes. "So do human babies, and nobody tries to poison _them_. I mean, not that I'm lobbying for baby poisoning. Or anything." She takes a bite of salad and takes in the table's reaction, which is generally nonplussed. "Pigeons are extremely similar to doves, you know. And nobody would get pissy if there were a dove on their fire escape."

"You should get a pigeon tattooed on your other shoulder," Marie suggests.

"Maybe," Nori says. "Did you know that people train pigeons to race? They race across country. With little chips in their necks. Or something. I'm kind of fuzzy on the details but the image is captivating."

"You, ah, you used to work in a zoo or something, darlin'?" Logan asks.

"No, I just... I like to read Wikipedia pages about birds. It's super interesting," Nori says, enthusiastically.

"I agree," Ororo says. "Birds are fascinating creatures."

"_Thank_ you," Nori says. "Did you _know_ that a couple years ago this scientist built a vending machine for crows? It was so they would clean the streets. They would put trash in the vending machine and then get food or something as a reward. Isn't that the best thing?" She glances around the table. "Why are you guys not more excited about vending machines for birds? What is wrong with you?"

"It doesn't sound very practical," Rogue says, tentatively.

"Ugh, I didn't say it was practical. I said it was _great_." She glares. "All right. From now on I'll keep all my awesome knowledge to myself."

"Don't think the world is ready for bird vending machines yet, _cherie_," Remy says.

"That kind of sounds like a vending machine where, like, you put in a dollar and get a bird," Bobby observes.

"Oh, that is upsetting," Nori says. Everyone at the table feels it, too. She seems unreasonably horrified, and she shakes her head. "Sorry. Just... I mean, envisioning all those birds stacked up in a little glass box?" She shudders. "Anyway, whatever, birds. We had a pretty good trip. All things considered." She stands up and clears her and Remy's empty plates.

In her wake, Logan shakes his head. "How do you keep up with her, LeBeau?"

"Don't, really," he replies with a shrug.

* * *

><p>Oh hello there. I don't want to be a drama queen about this but a surprising number of people have subscribed to this story, but only two of you have left a review. So just think about what kind of person you want to be... the kind who quietly reads this and then goes on with their day, or the kind who sends a little bit of sunshine right into my inbox by leaving a review. And thank you, VampireGleek and ShinigamiWanabe for being the latter type of person :)<p> 


	19. Chapter 19

After dinner, Xavier calls all the school's adults up to the situation room. Remy and Nori tell their story, and Nori carefully demonstrates her new telekinesis. Scott looks like he's been punched in the stomach, and Nori gives him a sympathetic look. She hadn't realized until that moment that she'd been given Jean Grey's powers. She pushes her hair behind her ear and looks down at the table.

"And it didn't occur to you to ask us for help with any of this, LeBeau?" Logan asks, angrily. "If this guy Sinister's as bad as you say, why would you bargain with him?"

"Because he had Nori," Remy says, slowly.

"We could have helped you rescue her."

"No, you couldn't. You... you don't know. He's very powerful."

"I was unable to locate him with Cerebro," Xavier says.

Logan turns to look at Nori sharply. "Are you all right, darlin'? Did that Sinister guy hurt you?"

"No. He... I don't know, he was kind of... nice to me."

Logan bursts out laughing. "Of course he was."

Nori crosses her arms across her chest and looks at the table again. "You sure you're all right?" Logan asks.

She rocks back and forth a little before answering. "I just... I don't know. I don't know. I think my moral compass is all out of whack. How can I be... friends... with Sinister? With Magneto? With the things they've done? What does that say about me? What am I?"

The rest of the X-Men look at her, startled. Xavier is the first to speak. "My dear, I don't think there is anything wrong with your moral compass. You simply have an admirable gift for seeing the best in people, regardless of what other crimes they may have committed. And I believe that your empathy tends to pull out the best in people. You are remarkably expressive with your emotions, which gives others a vested interest in seeing to your happiness."

She bites her lip and nods, still staring down at the table. She has a tight shield up, and no one knows what to say to her. Finally, Remy lifts her chin with his hand. "Look at me, _cher_," he says. She lifts her eyes, and he says, "Just because somebody evil likes you don't mean there's anything evil 'bout you. Just means that even Sinister and Magneto have a spot somewhere in them that recognizes what's good about you. Okay?"

"Okay," she whispers. "Thank you."

Logan laughs. "Kid, you're the only person I know who would get bent out of shape about having too many people like you."

Nori looks up at him, anger flashing in her eyes. "It's easy for _you_ to say that, Logan. _You_ don't have to worry about getting along with people. _You _can get yourself into shit and then fight your way back out. _You_ could get your face kicked in and heal overnight. Some of us have to sit around and make nice with terrifying mad scientists while we wait to be saved. And I... I... I don't..." she's crying, now, and she uses her telepathy to send out a flurry of thoughts and memories.

Logan blinks. Scott, being accustomed to telepathic messages, speaks up, gently. "You're afraid of what you might do? For someone... evil?"

She rocks back and forth in her chair and nods. To send out her images, she'd had to take down her shield, and she's suddenly inundated with the thoughts of everyone in the room. She lets out a cry and bites her hand. Xavier gently puts her shield back up for her.

Nori takes in a deep breath, happy to be alone in her head again. She nods.

Remy puts his hand on her shoulder. "Nori, you stood up to Magneto plenty of times. Just 'cause he had a soft spot for you didn't make you his puppet. You're brave. You'll do what's right."

Nori sighs and wipes her face off with her hand. "Sorry," she says.

"Hey. Don't apologize," Logan says. "Sounded like you needed to get that off your chest."

"Guess so," she says, ruefully. "My old therapist would be so mad if she knew I had this breakthrough without her." She exhales. "Could we take a break and come back in a little bit?"

"Of course," Xavier says. "Why don't we just come back here tomorrow?"

Everyone murmurs assent. Nori and Remy lean on each other as they walk down to their bedroom. They change for bed and lie together quietly.

Finally, Remy says, "Didn't know you felt that way, _cherie_."

"I-I didn't really know, either. I guess... it had kind of been building in me." She sighs. "I think I'm just in over my head and maybe I have been for a long time."

"Fair enough, _cher_. You did just get kidnapped by an immortal scientist who happened to give you new mutant powers. Not really in most people's life plans."

She laughs long and hard at that. Finally, she sighs and rests her head on Remy's chest. "You're right. It's real weird."

He strokes her hair. "Your life is real weird now, _cher_. But you're doing just fine."

"Yeah?"

"_Oui_."

"Tell me things will be fine. Tell me I'm okay."

He kisses her forehead. "Things will be fine. You're living in a beautiful mansion with an extremely good-looking man. You have new mutant powers. You're surrounded by teenagers who completely idolize you. You are kind, beautiful, and brave. _Je t'aime_."

She smiles up at him. "Good job. Thank you." She snuggles closer against him.

"Any time you need to hear that, you just ask. Hell, I'll make sure to tell you. At least once a day. Once an hour. How does that sound?"

She kisses along his jawline. "I always know I can count on you for an over-the-top gesture," she says, her voice swelling with fondness.

"Hey, _cher_, I just tell it like it is. You know me," he says, gently tugging her face up to his. They kiss.

She grins. "Have I told you that I'm unbelievably happy to have you in my life?"

"A man could stand to hear it again."

"Remy LeBeau... I am unbelievably happy to have you in my life," she says, intensely.

"Thanks, _cher_. Awful nice of you to say."

She laughs into his chest. "Love you," she murmurs. She closes her eyes and makes a small, sleepy sound. Remy sighs.

"Love you too, _ma mie_."

They fall asleep, but a few hours later Nori starts to dream of Stryker and his guards. In her sleep, her new telepathy links her mind to Remy's, bringing him into her nightmare. He wakes up and shakes her. "Nori, wake up, it's a dream. You're safe." She stirs, but doesn't wake. He can't stop seeing the guards hurting him (her), laughing at him (her). He feels (her) overwhelming loneliness and despair. It's unbearable. He shakes her again, urgently. "_Cherie_, wake up. _Mon dieu_, please wake up."

Finally, her eyelashes flutter and she looks up at him. There's a clatter, and she realizes belatedly that she'd been levitating items in her sleep. She sighs and curls into him.

"_Cher_," he whispers. "You... I was dreaming your dream."

"Oh God, I'm sorry."

"No, _cher_, I'm sorry... I... that was horrible. Is that always what you dream?"

"Not always..."

He wraps his arms around her tightly. "That never should have happened to you."

"But it did. I just... have to move on. I have. Mostly." She sighs. "Why didn't you have your, you know, energy shield up?"

"I took it down, for the meeting. I wanted to be there for you."

She kisses him. "You're sweet." He holds her and rubs her shoulders. Gently, she uses her empathy to tell him she feels safe and warm and comforted. Remy relaxes, shedding the last remnants of her nightmare from his mind. They fall asleep together until the alarm goes off in the morning.

After breakfast, Xavier mentally calls Nori up to his office.

"Good morning, Nori. Are you ready to begin practicing with your telepathy?"

She nods. "Last night I... I don't know. I made Remy dream my dream with me. I didn't mean to..."

"Of course you didn't. Abilities are often difficult to control when one is asleep, especially if you were having a nightmare."

"Yeah. I was. I knocked some stuff over in our room, too," she admits.

"Are you both all right?"

"Yeah. Remy woke me up and calmed me down a little. And I put up a shield again before I went to sleep. But I don't know if it stays."

Xavier nods. "Your control will improve with time and practice. Tell me, Nori, how did it feel to use your telepathy last night?"

She bites her lip. "It... I thought it would be easier to send out what I was thinking, instead of saying it... like I do with my empathy sometimes. But then it was like everyone in the room was shouting at me. I, I couldn't think, or..." she shakes her head quickly.

"Nori, I suspect that given your temperament and other abilities, you will make an extremely sensitive telepath."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that it will be difficult for you to filter the minds of others out from your own. But also meaning that should you need to search the mind of another, it will likely be easier for you than it would have been for Jean, for example."

"That's the opposite of what I want," she sighs. "I don't want to read anyone's thoughts. I just want... quiet."

"Well, Nori, I will do my best to help you control your telepathy and provide you with as much quiet as possible. However, there are occasions when your telepathy may prove very useful, for you and for other mutants. You can help locate people. You can help sense when a situation maybe be treacherous. You can help communicate with mutants who may not trust the X-Men. Isn't that what you have wanted?"

She crosses her arms across her chest. "I suppose. It-it just seems like a really big responsibility."

"It is. And your very wariness of this responsibility is how I know that you will use it wisely."

She sucks on her teeth and says nothing.

"For what it is worth, I have no qualms about your having gained this ability. Of all the mutants here, I think you are perhaps the one most suited to gaining telepathy. Not that it will make it any easier for you to adapt."

"Nothing's ever easy, is it?" she asks, with a small smile.

"I'd like you to start practicing your telepathy with me in Cerebro."

She raises her eyebrows. "Oh," he says. "I do not mean to say that you will actually use Cerebro. You will need a much finer control over your ability before you can use Cerebro. I just mean to say that we will practice inside the room of Cerebro. It is psychically shielded, so you can take down your shield and only feel the minds that are within Cerebro."

"Oh! Good." She follows him down to Cerebro and watches as his retina is scanned.

"How Mission Impossible," Nori says, with a ghost of a smile.

Inside, Xavier frowns. "Ah. We should have brought a chair for you." She shrugs and sits cross-legged on the thin strip of floor.

"All right, now, Nori, why don't you take down your shield?"

She grimaces and does so, letting out a sigh of relief when she senses only Xavier's orderly mind. She looks up at him, expectantly.

"For now, I'd just like to sit here for a few minutes and let you adjust to being here and feeling another mind's presence."

"Okay." She closes her eyes and relaxes. As she does so, more of Xavier's thoughts become clear to her, and she opens her eyes. "Oh!"

"Yes. Your mind will naturally try to read the thoughts of others nearby. You will have to focus to _not_ read them."

"Eff."

"It's something like the way you had to learn not to focus on mutants just because you could sense them with your ability to magnify powers. You can keep a light touch on people without actually seeing their thoughts. Here." He steps inside her mind and guides her through it. They spend the morning in somewhat tedious practice. But they're both patient—Charles from his years of experience as a telepath, Nori from years of tedious music practice—so neither of them complain.

Before they break for lunch, Nori asks, "Uh... should we tell the kids about this? It feels dishonest not to let them know that I could maybe read their minds by accident, but, I don't want to freak them out. You know."

Charles nods. "Perhaps it is best if we don't tell the students about Sinister. You can tell the students that you've developed a secondary mutation, and you're learning to control it."

"Doesn't that usually happen to teenagers?"

He shrugs. "Well, you seem to have delayed the onset of your primary mutation with medication, so it isn't altogether implausible."

Nori carefully puts her shield back up before leaving Cerebro. She's quiet and observant at lunch. Remy tries to engage her with cheerful chatter, but gets mostly one-word answers. After the meal, he pulls her aside in the hallway.

"You all right, _cherie_?"

"Fine," she says. "Just... tired. It's so hard _not_ to read people's minds," she says, ruefully. She stands on tiptoe for a quick kiss.

"It'll get easier with practice," he assures her.

"It had better," she says, "Or I'm going to go live on top of a mountain somewhere."

"Might not be such a bad idea," he muses. "Assuming I'm allowed to come with you."

She grins and kisses his cheek. "Obviously." Then she scrunches up her face and says, "Well, I'd better get back to practicing not reading people's minds."

"Funny," he says. "I'll be spending my afternoon not reading minds, too." They walk together to the elevator. Remy leans in for one last kiss as the elevator door opens. Logan steps out of the elevator and rolls his eyes.

"You kids," he says. Nori blushes and waggles her fingers in a quick wave as she gets in the elevator. Remy offers Logan an unself-conscious smile and says, "I can't help it if the lady can't keep her hands off me."

Nori stands outside of Cerebro, waiting for Professor Xavier to come down. She's surprised when he appears, accompanied by Scott.

"Good afternoon, Nori," Xavier says. "Scott volunteered to let you practice your telepathy on him this afternoon."

"Oh! Um, thanks," she says.

"I have a lot of experience living with telepaths," Scott says, tersely. Nori nods.

Inside Cerebro, Xavier again asks Nori to take down her shield. She does, and senses only Xavier. She cautiously tightens her mental grasp and nods when she senses only Xavier's presence, but not his thoughts. Then Scott's mind appears to her, completely unshielded.

She carefully begins trying to close him off without completely shutting down her power. Her eyes fill with tears as she takes in Scott's surface thoughts, which are all about Jean. "Oh, Scott," she whispers. "You miss her so much."

She crosses the few steps between them and gives him an impulsive hug, which only strengthens her telepathic connection to him. "Shit," she says. She takes a step back and crosses her arms, breathing deeply and trying to stop her tears. "Okay," she says, aloud. "Okay okay okay. Okay." She finally succeeds in filtering out Scott's thoughts before looking up at his sunglass-covered eyes. His face is tight with pain.

"I'm sorry, Scott," she says.

He sighs. "It's okay, Nori. I do miss her."

Xavier peers calmly at Nori and Scott. Scott's face has returned to a calm and stoic mask. Nori is trembling.

"Scott? Were you feeling particularly upset this afternoon?"

"No, not particularly. I mean, I was remembering Jean, and her telepathy. But I wasn't... especially sad."

"Nori? Why did Scott's thoughts affect you so?"

She shrugs. "I-I don't know. He... he just loves her so much. It... it made my heart hurt, to see his thoughts," she says, self-consciously.

Scott raises his eyebrows. "I mean, I know I'm still grieving, but I really was... okay."

"I believe that Nori's telepathy, empathy, and sensitive personality are combining here in a difficult fashion." Nori gazes warily at Xavier.

"You mean like, since I cry at every Disney movie I'm going to be a weepy telepath, too?"

"Well... more or less. Thoughts that another telepath might not notice will likely strike you as noteworthy. You may find yourself over-empathizing with people."

Nori brings her left foot up to her right knee and balances on one foot as she considers this. "So, basically, I need to toughen up?"

Xavier smiles. "Well, it would certainly make your life easier if you were a little less empathetic. But I imagine that was true for you even before you gained telepathy."

She gracefully switches feet. "I suppose so."

Scott looks pensive. "Jean... she used to say that just because she knew what someone was thinking didn't mean she knew what they were feeling. She only knew what she would feel if that's what she were thinking."

Nori nods, thoughtfully. "Could... could I try again?"

"Sure," Scott says, taking a deep breath. Nori bites her lip as she carefully lowers her shield. She grimaces as she hears Scott's thoughts, but she forces herself to let them wash over her. She listens and watches. He misses Jean, but he's also thinking about how he hopes that Nori will be as useful to the X-Men as Jean was. He's also aware that Nori is reading that thought. He hopes she isn't offended.

She carefully closes her focus down. "I hope I can help, too," she says, with a gentle smile. Scott returns the smile, and Xavier nods approvingly.

"Good, Nori. I think that's enough for today," Xavier says. "I know that this practice can be tiring."

"Okay. Thank you," she says, smiling at both of them.

They exit Cerebro together. It closes behind them with a smooth, solid sound. Upstairs, they part ways. Nori goes to the living room and pulls a jigsaw puzzle off the shelf. She snaps it together methodically. She's almost finished with it when Logan and Remy come into the room. She smiles at them, and Remy sits next to her, propping his bad foot on an end table.

"Well, _cher_, are you a master of telepathy now?" Remy asks.

"Not really. We finished for the day because I over-empathize." She looks down at her puzzle and calmly puts a piece into place. "I have enough problems with my own thoughts. The last thing I need is to deal with everyone else's." She looks up again and says, "Speaking of which, Logan, I'm sorry for snapping at you last night."

Logan shakes his head. "I think I had it comin', Nori."

She tilts her head and smiles. "Maybe a little. But still, I spoke harshly. I know you meant well."

He nods. "I did. But you were right. I mean. I can fight my way out of pretty much anything. You can't."

"Tell me about it," she says. She sounds calm, not angry. She fits the puzzle's last few pieces into place. It's a generic scene of a bridge over a river, and she contemplates it silently. "It's not just you," she adds, softly. "And not just mutants. It's a fundamental difference between the way men and women are socialized within the patriarchy. Men are trained to be aggressors. Women are trained to be fearful. Not that we can't overcome it. But it's hard. Especially when people keep kidnapping you."

"Huh," Logan says, thoughtfully.

Nori begins dismantling the puzzle. Remy helps. It's oddly calming. She smiles at him and asks, "How's your foot, love?"

He shrugs. "Been better."

She puts the lid back on the puzzle box and leans against Remy. "You poor thing."

"I feel better when there's a pretty woman around to distract me."

"Oh, do you?"

He nods. "Barely hurts at all right now, for example."

"Barely? Should I go put on some more eye makeup?"

"_Non, non_, stay." He leans in and whispers, "Might help if you took some clothes off, though." She blushes and elbows him and Logan snorts. He's still standing in front of the couch.

"Logan, sit down with us," Nori says. "I missed you when I was being held hostage, you know." Logan nods, once, and sits down in an overstuffed armchair.

"So, darlin', you going to be all right?" Logan asks. "I mean, what'd Chuck say?"

She shrugs. "He's optimistic that I'll get my shit together. I don't know. Like I said earlier, I over-empathize with everyone. But like it's one thing if I get worked up when people tell me their problems, and another thing if I get worked up when people think about their problems."

"Yeah," Logan says. "Well." He looks uncomfortable.

Nori bursts out laughing and stands up. She puts away the bridge puzzle and comes back with another one, which she dumps onto the table and sifts through.

"What's so funny?" Logan demands.

"You're just about the most prototypically masculine person I've ever encountered," she says, with a smile. "The level of discomfort you show at discussion of emotion is... high."

He shrugs. "Just because I don't talk about my feelings don't mean I don't have any."

"Of course not," she says. "This is how gender norms are damaging for both men and women. Women are rendered helpless and fearful, and men are emotionally crippled. Speaking in generalities, of course."

"I'm not emotionally crippled," Logan says, stung. "And you're not helpless." Nori serenely assembles the puzzle's frame. Remy observes silently.

"We are both emotionally crippled, you and I," Nori responds. "You think you can fight your way out of feeling at all. And I feel... I feel everything. So what are we to do?"

Remy shakes his head. "You're both fine the way you are."

"Are we?" Nori asks. "Logan, how much sleep do _you_ get a night?"

He shifts in his chair. "Enough."

She shakes her head. "We're neighbors, Logan, and I might not have your hearing but I know all about your nightmares." The sounder-sleeping Remy looks at her, surprised.

"What, you want to psychoanalyze me? Xavier's already tried," Logan says.

"No. But the three of us have all had something taken from us by Stryker," Nori says. "Perhaps we can work together. To restore."

"Hey, now, I haven't heard the Cajun mentioned so far in this little therapy session," Logan says.

She looks fondly at Remy and says, "You and I have both already helped Remy. His trust was taken from him." Remy narrows his eyes slightly and shrugs.

"Guess so, _cher_."

"Logan, you've lost your memories," Nori continues. "I've lost my sense of safety. You have both already begun to help me regain it, but it will likely be a long time coming." Her voice sounds dreamy. She completes the border of the puzzle and moves on to sorting out the insides. Remy and Logan exchange glances.

"_Cher_, you sure you're all right?"

"Just fine, Remy."

Logan shakes his head. "Darlin', sometimes you talk like you're somethin' out of a fairy tale."

At that, she smiles luminously. "Maybe I am." Logan half-expects her to disappear in a wave of pixie dust, but she just sits there, methodically assembling a puzzle. She rolls her eyes. "Just kidding. I'm from Boston. You know that. I just spend a lot of time thinking about feelings. Even before I was a mutant. It was kind of a professional necessity, for me. In the same way that it was a professional necessity for you _not_ to think about feelings."

"What would you know about that?" he asks, a bit more harshly than he'd meant.

She meets his eyes. "I know things," she says, a haunted expression briefly crossing her face.

He blinks. It was impossible to stay annoyed with her. "Yeah," he says. "I guess you do."

"Anyway, Logan, I don't know. I didn't really mean to say everything I said today. But I did mean what I said. I... my mind is stretched a little thin, these days. But so is yours, Logan, and you don't have to pretend that it isn't. Not with me. Not with Remy. You don't have to shut us out." There's a finality to her tone, and Logan nods.

"Well... thanks, darlin'. Seeya around." He rises from the couch and receives a serene smile from Nori and a slightly bewildered look from Remy, behind Nori's head.

"You're full of surprises, _ma mie_," Remy whispers.

"Am I?" she says. "Maybe."

He kisses her forehead. "Didn't know you thought so much about Logan. Should I be jealous?"

She rolls her eyes. "Don't play me. You're too arrogant to get jealous of anyone." He laughs, but doesn't deny it. "But, just so we're clear, no, you don't have to worry about me and Logan. He's still hung up on Jean. And I'm hung up on you," she says, gently.

"Glad t'hear it, _cherie_." He tightens his arm around her and murmurs, "I do trust you, you know." He hadn't really thought about it in those terms until Nori had so plainly explained it to Logan, but it was true. He'd been extremely guarded until he'd met Nori, who had trusted him and needed him and coaxed her way inside him.

She nods. "I know. You trust Logan, too."

Remy thinks about it for a half-second, then nods. "I do." Logan had proven himself on Three Mile Island, even if Logan himself had long forgotten it; and he'd proven himself again since he and Nori had come to stay at the mansion. He trusted Logan because Nori trusted him, and because Logan clearly felt protective of her.

"And I feel safe with you. And with Logan. But I _hate_ that I can't feel safe by myself." She nestles her cheek against his side, and he reaches down to stroke her hair. He says nothing, because what can he say? She probably isn't safe. None of them are. They sit together quietly until the handful of students at the school come in to watch The Simpsons.

"Oh!" Rogue had said, surprised to see them sitting on the couch, not talking or watching TV. "Do you mind if we watch TV in here?"

"Of course we don't mind," Nori says. "C'mon." She pulls away from Remy a little, and the kids pile onto the available furniture. The kids laugh hysterically at the show. Nori gets it sometimes. Remy rarely does.

Afterward, they all head to dinner. Remy leans on Nori and takes a couple Tylenols at dinner. They sit with the older kids, who are talking about college, in a casual way. That night's Simpsons re-run had been about Homer returning to community college.

"Where'd you to to school, Miss Oyama?" Bobby asks.

"NYU."

"S'a good school," he says.

She shrugs.

"Ah," Bobby says, remembering. "Your dad wanted you to go to Harvard?"

"Yeah. Julliard or Berklee would have been acceptable, also. But I didn't get into Julliard, and I wanted to go to school in New York."

"You got into Harvard but not Julliard?"

She nods. "But I loved NYU. I'm glad I went there."

"I bet your dad got over it eventually, right?" Jubilee asks.

She winces. "Not... so much. But whatever. Are any of you thinking about NYU? I'd be happy to write a recommendation, or, um, maybe I shouldn't," she says, taking a thoughtful bite.

"Maybe," Marie volunteers. "I think I might want to study English. They have a good program, right?"

Remy watches and smiles as Nori gently pries the kids' dreams out of them. Jubilee wants to study fashion design, or art, or pre-med. Bobby's thinking about poli sci. Piotr says engineering, but Nori forces him to consider art programs.

"What about you, Mr. LeBeau? Where did you go to college?" Bobby asks.

He shakes his head. "Well, can't say as I did."

"Oh," he says, hiding his surprise. In Bobby's middle-class world, everyone went to college.

Remy flashes an easy grin. "I was never a great student. College wasn't for me. You kids are different. I'm not really a good role model, _non_?"

"Maybe for Jubilee. If she goes into fashion design," Nori says, straight-faced. The kids laugh. Nori turns the conversation to the ACTs and SATs, and no one asks anything else of Remy. After dinner, they retreat to their bedroom. Nori carefully rolls Remy over and gives him a massage, working on his tense shoulders. He sighs with obvious pleasure, and she works down to his legs. She rubs his good foot.

"What'd I do to deserve this?" he asks, pleased.

"I love you," she says. Remy rolls over onto his back and smiles up at her.

"Love you too, _cherie_." She bends down and kisses him. He looks up at her, studying her face. She looks calm. She's happy because he's happy, he realizes. She sighs.

"Rachael was right, you know," she says. "I don't usually fall for guys like you. But maybe I should have tried it earlier."

"Nah," he says. "Be glad you waited for Remy, _non_? Accept no imitations."

She grins. "Good advice." She rests her head on his chest.

He says, softly, "You know, I don't usually fall in love. But I love you."

"I know. Lucky me." She carefully lowers the shield over her empathy and sends him her happiness.

He sighs. "That's a nice trick, _ma mie_."

She strokes his hair. "It's nice to use it on somebody besides Magneto."

Remy takes in her mood and decides to gently direct the conversation away from Magneto and the Brotherhood. "Play me a song, _cher_," he wheedles.

She gives him a long look. "I know you're trying to distract me, but it'll work," she says. She rises from the bed and comes back with a violin. It's the one Sinister had given her.

She picks at the neck of the violin. Remy doesn't know a lot about violins but he knows that's not how you usually play them. She hums and experiments, a little, and finally starts playing a jaunty tune. She sings, in her sweet, clear voice,

_It's only doubts that we're counting_

_On fingers broken long ago_

_I read with every broken heart_

We should become more adventurous

He frowns as the song continues,

_For me to be saved and you to be brave_

_We don't have to walk down that aisle_

_Because if marriage ain't enough_

_Well, at least we'll be loved_

He feels a flash of guilt about his marriage to Belladonna. Nori's never said a word to him about it, not since the night he told her that he was still technically married. He thinks that maybe it would be nice to marry Nori. He wonders if she would want to. Women in movies always want marriage, but Nori is not much like women in movies. She finishes the song and gives him a piercing look, sensing that his attention is elsewhere. She chooses to say nothing and instead begins another song. He doesn't pay much attention to the words, only to her voice, which sounds on the verge of tears. She sighs and says, "Oh, that is enough Rilo Kiley for tonight. I don't know why, but they have been on my mind all day. Let me think. Let me think."

"Is Rilo Kiley a friend of yours?"

"A band. The lead singer, Jenny, is a friend of mine. Another friend of ours said that Rilo Kiley was the music to listen to when you were alone at the beach with sand in your swimsuit and you just spilled your ice cream in the sand," she says, with a smile. "I don't know how Jenny handles the emotional burden of telling these stories over and over, frankly."

She sighs and begins playing a classical piece. Remy watches her fingers fly over the strings and smiles. It's a long piece, and he closes his eyes and enjoys it. He enjoys her empathy more than the song itself. When the piece is over, he opens his eyes. "How come you never play your own songs?"

She looks thoughtful. "Well... you don't know them. And it... it's weird. It's somehow much more intimate to play one of my songs here for you than it would be to play it on stage for hundreds of people. It's not anonymous. And it, I don't know. It seems really vain to play my songs for people who don't know them."

"Will you play me one now?"

"Of course." She gently puts away the violin and comes back with her guitar. She tunes it and strums it a few times, then breaks into something fun and fast-paced. Her tone as she sings is amused, but with an undercut of sorrow.

_I'm in the middle of Mississippi_

_And I wish you were here_

_I'm in the middle of a breakdown,_

_And I wish you were near_

_I'm in the middle of a jam_

_And there's no way out, I fear_

_Hmmm, wish you were here_

After she strums the final chords, she looks down at her hands. He applauds. She looks a little self-conscious, and when she picks up the guitar again, she plays him Springsteen. Finally, she puts her guitar up and comes to rest with Remy.

"_Ma fille spéciale_," he whispers. "_Je t'aime beaucoup_." She smiles at the French endearments and curls against him.

"Bet you say that to all the girls," she says, lightly.

"_Non_, _jamais_," he says, and it's true. He'd said plenty of things to other girls, but he'd never professed to love any of them, in any language. She climbs on top of him, cautious of his hurt foot, and kisses him. He tangles his fingers in her soft hair and kisses her back contentedly. Gently, they make love. Almost immediately afterward, an emotionally exhausted Nori falls asleep. Remy's aching ankle keeps him awake. He's reluctant to disturb Nori, since it's anyone's guess as to whether or not she'll fall back to sleep, and he can't reach the bottle of Tylenol without moving her. So he lies very still and tries to meditate the way Nori had once showed him, He's surprised when the Tylenol and a glass of water come floating toward him, and he glances down at Nori. Still asleep, she sighs and curls into herself more tightly. He takes four Tylenol and hopes his liver is up to the task. He tries to lean away from her to set the glass on the ground, but it floats away from him and back to the bedside table. He strokes Nori's hair in silent thanks.


	20. Chapter 20

The rest of that summer vacation proves to be a busy one for Nori. She tells the kids who are around about her new powers. They're a little surprised, and she catches a few of them wondering if she's been possessed by Jean Grey's ghost. But because they like Nori, and because she rarely uses her powers around them, it quickly becomes old news.

Xavier works with her telepathy almost daily, and Logan, Scott, and Remy take turns tutoring her in the Danger Room. She never exactly warms to it, but she does grow more confident. Her favorite drills are the ones Scott put together, where she uses her telekinesis to disarm and to shield. She grows extremely adept at shielding. It's what she's always wanted: a way to prevent people from touching her without her consent.

Her least favorite drills continue to be hand-to-hand combat with Logan. He can feel her panic every time one of the simulated hostiles touches her. He won't let her use her shield—she can't always count on being able to use her TK. He doesn't like being the one to make her suffer through this, but he'd rather it be him than Remy. And he'd rather she work out her panic here in the mansion than out in the world, with a real attacker. On a whim, one day he changes the program to feature female attackers. Tall and strong, but female nonetheless. Nori's so much calmer and more self-assured fighting them the first day that it takes Logan's breath away. Of course, in the real world, she probably won't be fighting many women, but he at least tries to keep a mixture of genders in her training.

Finally, just before the rest of the students are due back for the fall semester, Cyclops and Wolverine agree that it's time to put Nori—Echo—in a full Danger Room scenario with the rest of the team. They're surprised by what they see—when she's working with others, her timidity fades. She's sharper with her telekinesis than they've ever seen. Later, they try pairing her and Wolverine against Cyclops and Storm. She manages to disable both of their powers, turning it into a straight fight between Cyclops and Wolverine, which isn't as vicious as it might have been the previous year. She puts up a telekinetic shield to keep Storm from touching her, and she asks, "Is my objective to disable you or just to get past you?" Storm smiles and tries, experimentally, to launch herself through Echo's shield. Echo crosses her arms across her chest and stays behind her shield. Storm shrugs and tries to assist Cyclops, but Echo bites her lip in concentration and traps Storm in a small telekinetic bubble, which triggers Storm's claustrophobia. She grows white-faced and hyperventilates. Echo drops her telekinetic shield and runs over to her friend. Cyclops and Wolverine disentangle themselves to investigate.

"Sorry, Storm," Echo says calmly, taking Storm's hands. "You're okay. It's not real. Shh, you're okay. Take deep breaths with me."

Storm sighs and nods. "Thank you, my friend."

"Sorry," Echo repeats. "I-I didn't mean to—"

"Don't apologize," Cyclops says. "It was a great use of your powers. If you were really fighting Storm, you would have perfectly disabled her."

"Truly, Echo, I'm fine. I have a touch of claustrophobia. But I am fine."

She nods. "Okay," she says, but her eyes are wary.

"Let's call it a day," Cyclops says. "Clean up, and let's debrief in the situation room in half an hour."

In the sit room, it becomes clear to Logan that Echo has retreated within herself. Her voice is just slightly distant, as if she's repeating something that is being whispered in her ear. He glances at Scott with concern, but Scott doesn't seem to have noticed.

Storm and Cyclops agree that Echo's power-dampening and telekinesis make her a formidable opponent. She crosses her arms over her chest and nods. Wolverine, Cyclops, and Storm talk more about strategy, and Echo remains quiet.

Finally, Wolverine looks at her and says, "Darlin', how are you holding up?"

She lets out a deep breath and says, "Okay. I... this is hard for me. I don't want to be a drama queen. But it's hard. But I think it's supposed to be hard. Isn't it?"

Scott nods. "Echo... we certainly aren't going to force you on the team against your will. We just want you to feel prepared in the event of... violence."

She gives a tiny, gentle smile. "I know. But do you really think that if I can... you know, move people around with my mind, that I can just stay home and play violin while people I care about are getting hurt? When any people are getting hurt? If I could stop it? I... it's just hard. To get used to."

"Well," Scott says, "That's what the Danger Room is for. To get used to it."

She laughs brightly at that, then covers her mouth. "I suppose it is."

Uneasily, Scott concludes the meeting. Logan lingers behind to talk to him.

"Do you think Nori is... stable?" Scott asks.

Logan shrugs. "You'd be better off talking to Chuck about that one. But I think she's probably reacting in the only sane way possible for her."

"I mean, honest opinion, Logan. If we send her out in the field, what's she going to do?"

"Don't know," Logan says. "She'll do her best, but... I don't know, Cyke, When we practice hand-to-hand combat, the look she gets in her eyes if somebody grabs her... she's been through a lot, and she's still scared. But she hasn't melted down physically, not since day one. I think... I think the thing about her is that she says and shows everything she's feeling. Makes her seem weak, maybe. But I don't think she is."

"Hmm," Scott says. He heads up to Xavier's office.

_Come in, Scott_, he hears in his mind.

"Good evening," Xavier says, aloud.

Scott nods and says, without preamble, "What do you think of Nori?"

Xavier raises his eyebrows slightly and replies, "She is a kind and sensitive woman. She's remarkably in touch with her emotions, which I think has helped her process the rather dramatic changes in her life over the last few years."

"Do you think she's stable?"

"She certainly has mood swings. Small things can remind her of her time spent in captivity, which makes her more withdrawn."

Scott paces around Xavier's desk. "I mean, if I send her out on a mission with the team, do you think she could handle it? Psychologically speaking."

Xavier gives him a long look before replying, "Yes, I do. She does have a certain amount of emotional fragility, but she has already survived acts of unspeakable violence without giving up her fundamental spirit. I think that if she were to use her powers with the X-Men, to save lives... she would likely find it to be healing. Of course, you are the team leader, and you should make these decisions as you see fit. But I have no qualms about her emotional stability."

Scott sighs. "She just seems so... vulnerable."

"I have spent a lot of time with her, inside her mind, and I believe there is a certain paradoxical strength in her vulnerability. She has made a very conscious choice not to let her experiences harden her."

"How much longer do you think that will be a viable option?"

Xavier smiles. "Don't underestimate her, Scott."

Scott goes looking for Nori when he doesn't see her at dinner. He finds her sitting in the small staff kitchen, eating a salad and frowning at a slim, hot pink book. She raises her eyes from the book and says, "Hey, Scott."

"Hey Nori. Just wanted to make sure you were doing okay."

"Fine," she says. "I just wanted a little quiet."

"You did good today, in the Danger Room."

"Thanks."

He stands there awkwardly for a moment. Nori puts her book down—_Allie Finkle's Rules For Girls—_and says, "Well, you can go ahead and ask me."

"Ask you what?"

"If I'm crazy."

He blinks. "That wasn't what I was going to ask you," he says, honestly. "You're obviously not crazy. I just wanted to... " he exhales. "In an ideal world, I would never ask you to fight anyone. It's clearly... it's not in your personality."

She shrugs. "In an ideal world, the X-Men wouldn't have to exist. This world is _samsara_."

"Samsara?" he asks.

"It means... suffering, but not exactly the English meaning of suffering. It's more... hmm, everything that is not nirvana is suffering."

"That's... depressing."

"No, no," she says. "It isn't... suffering isn't the same as pain. It's... there is joy, in samsara." She frowns. "It also means the journey. It also means that it is possible to live without suffering. But you didn't come here to talk about religion. I spoke to you honestly before, Scott. I would prefer to use my gifts to help, in whatever way I can. Violence is upsetting to me, but so is standing by when violence is done to others." She looks at his face. He knows it's hard for people to make eye contact with him, but she looks right into his glasses. He remembers that she's older than he is, by a few years. "Do you have any other questions for me, Scott? You can ask."

"Are you reading my mind?" he asks.

At that, she looks hurt, and she sits up a little straighter. "No."

"Sorry," he says, sheepishly.

"I don't have to read your mind to know you have doubts about me. I don't blame you." She takes a sip of water and her forehead crinkles in concentration. "If I have a choice in life, I do my best to choose the one that causes the least suffering—for myself, for my loved ones, for the world. The trick, of course, is in the calculation of suffering." She meets his covered eyes, again. "So long as the X-Men seem to be on the side of least suffering, I will be happy to serve with them."

"Okay," Scott says. "Okay. Just... there's a difference, between the theory of all that, and then, you know, getting out there."

"Scott, you know... you know I was with Magneto, right? You know the things I helped him do? It wasn't like I wasn't scared. It wasn't like I didn't have doubts. Just because... just because I don't go looking for a fight doesn't mean I'm not… brave."

Scott blinks in surprise. "I don't go looking for fights either, Nori."

"I didn't say you did. I just said I didn't." There's something about Nori's tone—she can say things that would sound combative from most people, but from her, they are gentle observations.

"Fair enough," Scott says. "Well—well, it was nice talking to you. I'll add you to our regular Danger Room schedule."

She smiles at him and says, "Okay." He heads back to the dining hall, and Nori picks up her book again.

She does all right in the Danger Room. She never melts down, not the way Scott feared she would, not the way she did on her first attempt. And she's gained enough control over her telepathy to link her teammates' minds together in battle—usually. Occasionally she gets overwhelmed by everyone's thoughts and has to be physically shaken before she'll snap back to the present moment. As soon as Hank deems Gambit's ankle to be sufficiently healed for the Danger Room, Gambit is always the first to notice when she starts shutting down, and he is excellent at quickly coaxing her back. Watching the two of them in the Danger Room makes it easier for Scott to understand their relationship. He'd had his doubts about Gambit, even after watching him stay by Echo's side throughout her long recovery. But in the Danger Room, he watches as Gambit stays aware of Echo, without hovering around her. They work well together, anticipating each other's moves.

A month after Echo has been added to the Danger Room group, Cyclops pairs her against Gambit. He's extremely curious about how it will play out, and he watches with interest from the observation deck. The two banter for a moment, and then Gambit starts tossing cards at her. Cyclops blinks, then realizes that Gambit's mental energy lets him shut out Echo's power. She can't dampen his mutant power, and that's a trick she relies on. But he watches as Echo uses her TK to knock the cards right back at Remy. They reach an impasse, and circle each other warily. Finally, Gambit pulls out his staff. Echo tenses and prepares to block, but instead he charges the staff and drives it into the floor of the Danger Room. It's like an earthquake. Echo uses her TK to hold herself steady in the air, but she's tiring. They both know there's no way Echo can take Gambit in a hand-to-hand fight. Logan's the only one who ever can take Gambit, and Echo can barely handle Kitty Pryde. She uses her TK to take Gambit's staff from him, and she holds it warily. Then she telekinetically shoves out and uses the staff to pin Gambit against the wall. She sighs and sits down in the middle of the Danger Room. Gambit fights against the staff, but it's still pressing tightly against his torso. Cyclops comes down to join them and says, "Okay, that was good. We'll call that a draw." Gambit's staff drops, and he grabs it before it hits the ground.

Echo says, "_Christ_, I'm tired."

"That's good," Cyclops says. "You should know the limits of your power."

Gambit approaches and offers Echo a gentlemanly hand. She takes it and has to be pulled off the ground. She leans against her lover gratefully, and she can barely keep her eyes open as they debrief.

"Echo, what did you learn today?" Cyclops asks.

She sighs. "Using my TK takes way more energy than blocking someone's power, or my telepathy."

Cyclops nods. "Remember this feeling. You would never want to allow yourself to become this run-down in the field, unless it's a dire emergency."

"When _isn't_ it a dire emergency?" she asks, lightly.

"Point," he says. "Anyway, good job today, Echo. Very creative. Gambit, nice trick with the floor. Have you done that before?"

Gambit shrugs. "A few times. Don't usually need to." He grins at Echo, whose head is slowly drooping forward.

Cyclops sighs. "Let's call it a night. See you two around."

"_Bonsoir_," Remy says. "Come on, _petite_," he says, taking Nori's hand. She leans into him and allows herself to be propelled back up to their bedroom.

She flops down on the bed and closes her eyes immediately. Remy glances at the digital alarm clock. It shows 8:11. He sighs and steps outside for a smoke. Unsurprisingly, Logan's outside on the bench that's become their designated smoking spot.

"Heard Cyke had you and your girl fight today," Logan says, in greeting.

Remy nods and lights up a cigarette.

"How'd it go?"

Remy smiles proudly. "Ended up with me pinned against the wall with my own staff."

"Huh," Logan says, impressed.

"But she's exhausted. Passed out as soon as we got back upstairs."

Logan nods. "Cajun, let's go get a drink."

Remy takes another drag on his cigarette. "A good plan, I think." He stamps out his half-smoked butt and turns to go inside.

"No," Logan says, jerking his head toward the garage. "Let's get out of here."

Remy hesitates for a split second—_it's a school night, what if Nori needs something_—but ultimately the draw of leaving the mansion is too much for him to resist. Anyway, Nori was clearly down for the count. "Yeah, all right."

Logan gets behind the wheel of a sporty blue BMW and drives a short distance to a little dive bar, which a neon sign proclaims to be Harry's.

It's dark and grimy inside, and despite New York's ban on smoking, the place still smells like an ashtray. Remy feels at home, and the two men split a pitcher of cheap beer and take over a pool table.

Logan breaks and knocks two stripes in before missing. Remy peers out behind his sunglasses and flashily sinks five solids. His sixth hovers a millimeter outside the pocket, but resolutely stays on the felt.

Logan grins. "Too bad your girl's not here. She could help you out there."

Remy returns the grin, crookedly. "Nah. She plays by the rules."

Logan snorts. "If that's true, what's she doing with you?"

"You should know as well as anybody, nice girls can't resist a bad boy."

Logan starts at that. "What?" Remy asks, teasingly. "You saying she's not a nice girl?"

Logan shakes his head. "Just reminded me of somebody, that's all."

Remy pauses. If Nori were there, she'd ask. But he's not Nori, and he just stands back and lets Logan take his turn. They play two games, and Remy wins both. He looks at his watch. It's just after 10. Logan notices him looking and grins. "We can head back if you want, LeBeau. Wouldn't want your girl to get lonely."

Remy sighs. "She's probably still out. Let's play one more. You can break."

Logan nods. "You two have a good thing going, y'know? Don't fuck it up, Cajun."

With a grin, Remy says, "I'm tryin' my best, Logan." He watches as Logan demolishes the table, knocking eight balls in with a kind of urgency. Remy would almost wonder if Logan were in love with Nori, but he doesn't think that's what's going on here. But he's not sure what _is_ going on. Thoughtfully, he takes his pool cue to the table.

Finally, he says, offhandedly, "Nori said you're still hung up on Jean."

"Did she?"

"Yeah."

Logan takes a long drink. "Guess she'd know."

"She was with Summers, though, wasn't she?"

"What're you getting at, LeBeau?"

Remy holds his hands up, peaceably. "Not judgin'. I'm still married to another woman."

"Yeah. She was with the Boy Scout. But we... we had a connection."

Remy nods. Logan hesitates and continues, "She was really somethin'. You'd've liked her."

"I'm sorry she died."

"You 'n me both."

Logan steps up to the table and finishes off the game. "Let's call it a night," he says. Remy nods and follows him out to the car. He's feeling a little buzzed, but doesn't think to ask Logan if he's good to drive. He's sure Logan will be fine, and he is. Logan parks the car precisely where it had been, and they walk into the mansion quietly, through the back door.

"_Bonsoir_," Remy says, upon reaching his room.

"Night."

Remy opens the door and finds Nori awake, with the lights on and music playing softly.

"Hey, love."

"_Cherie_, didn't think you'd be up," he says, a little apologetically.

"Where'd you go? I couldn't find you in the mansion."

"Me and Logan went out for a drink."

She sits up. "You went out? I want to go out."

"It's a school night, _cher_."

She rolls her eyes. "It was a school night for you and Logan, too." She doesn't sound angry, exactly, but there's an edge.

"You haven't said anything about wanting to leave until just now," Remy protests.

"Well... I guess it never really occurred to me," she admits. "But I could go somewhere, right? Besides a funeral? Without getting taken hostage?"

"Of course, _ma mie_. Maybe this weekend." He frowns. "Are you listening to the same song on loop?"

"Yeah." She looks down at her hands and says, softly, "You could have left a note or something, you know."

He comes to sit next to her. "Oh, _cher_, _desole_. I truly did not think you would wake up before I got back."

She sighs. "I know. I just..."

Remy remembers Logan's words from before, and frowns inwardly. Had this been what Logan was talking about? But it had been Logan's idea to leave. He takes her hand and squeezes it. "You know I'd never leave you. Not for real."

"Never's a long time, Remy."

He looks at her sharply. "What are you saying, Nori?"

"Just... I... it can't be easy for you, to be with me."

"What brought this up? You know I love you. This ain't like you." And it isn't. Nori has always trusted him, and never gotten jealous if his eyes wandered a little in public. Even before her telepathy set in. She's always been vulnerable, but not suspicious.

"I don't know," she sighs. "I just woke up and was in kind of a mood."

Abruptly, Remy stands up and turns the music off. It's some kind of melancholy violin piece with a whiny vocal track. "Don't think that was helping any, _cher_."

She smiles at him. "You're right." He comes back to the bed and holds her.

"Being with you makes me happy," he says. "Makes me... better. Well, makes me want to be better, anyway."

She turns around and kisses him. "I love you, Remy. It scares me a little how much I love you," she whispers. "I don't know... I don't know what would happen if I lost you. And I... I'm not used to that feeling."

He meets her eyes, his expression deadly serious. "I almost did lose you, _cher_. I can't tell you..." He can't, with words, so he crushes her against him. She gasps and laughs and nestles her head into his shoulder.

"I didn't like fighting you today," she whispers.

"Me neither," he admits.

"I know it was just pretend, but..." He strokes her hair, wordlessly. She grabs his face and kisses him hungrily. He gasps; she's using her empathy to show him exactly how much she wants him right now. He kisses her neck and whispers, "Sure you don't want to put up a shield, _cher_?"

She whimpers a little as his mouth reaches her earlobe, then says, "I have one up. I've been... practicing... everyone's out... except you. Mmm..."

Sex with Nori when her shield is down completely floors him. They'd only done it a few times after her power changed before Logan had informed them that she was projecting all over the place. He's always known that he can please her, but to feel it so immediately... he had goosebumps.

Afterward, Remy stretches out on the bed, feeling extremely content. Nori takes one look at his face and bursts out laughing. _Pleased with yourself, are you?_ she sends telepathically.

_I thought you were pleased with me too, _he thinks back. She uses her empathy to send him her amusement and love. She gives love so freely, and Remy happily soaks it up. If he were a cat, he'd be purring. He drifts off to sleep. Nori lies with him for a few moments, then pads barefoot down to the staff kitchen. She balances on one foot as she heats water for tea, and starts when the door opens. "Oh! Logan," she says. "Do you want some tea?"

"Sure, darlin'," he says, though she's sure he hadn't come in for tea. He sniffs the air. "You and LeBeau didn't have a fight, did you?"

She blushes a little at that and says, "Noo."

"Ah."

"He's asleep. And I'm awake," she says, simply. She carries two mugs of hot water to the table, but telekinetically floats the wooden tea caddy over to the table. She picks out chamomile and Logan takes a bag of jasmine. She frowns. "What about you?"

"Couldn't sleep," he admits.

She nods. Theirs seems a strange friendship to those outside of it, but at the heart of it, they're both survivors. "How are you doing, Logan?"

"Fine."

She raises an eyebrow at that, but doesn't press him. They sip their tea in silence. Finally, Logan says, "Gambit told me Cyke had you two fight in the Danger Room."

"Yeah."

"He said you won."

"Not really. I mean, I had him pinned against the wall but I couldn't have held it for much longer."

"How'd you like fighting him?"

"Sucked."

He laughs at that. People—himself included—tend to think of Nori as some kind of fairy creature, but she can be blunt as anything. He thinks that the secret to Nori is that she says whatever she's thinking, and she thinks in a seriously strange way. "I bet it did, darlin'. But you did it."

She twirls her index finger in the air and laughs. "Good for me. If I ever get in a fight to the death with my lover, I can hold him off for at least half an hour."

Logan stares at her. "He's never hurt you, has he?"

"Lo-gan. No. I'm just saying."

He gives her a hard look, and she meets his gaze with a slightly exasperated expression. "All right, darlin', but if he ever does... you let me know."

"Thanks, friend." She finishes her tea and rises to wash the mug. "Here," she says, and Logan's mug flies off the table to her hand.

"That's handy."

"Isn't it?" she asks, delightedly. She puts both mugs on the drying rack and says, "Night, Logan," as she walks past him into the hallway.


	21. Chapter 21

Saturday, Remy follows up on his promise and takes Nori out. She pulls her hair back and puts on some black plastic glasses, a half-hearted disguise. It's been awhile since she was in the news. They go to a music store in town—she wants new rosin for her violin, and he suspects it won't be too crowded, so it won't be too overwhelming for her telepathy. He's right; there are a couple high school kids hanging out looking at sheet music, and a pleasant-faced middle-aged woman behind the counter. He follows Nori to the stringed instruments section and watches as she examines several small round boxes. The woman comes up and says, "Can I help you with anything, miss?"

"Yeah, thanks," Nori says. "I got a new violin and I'm looking for a new rosin. I think maybe a lighter one. I usually use Jade."

The woman is staring at her face and Nori shifts a little, uncomfortably. Remy grips her shoulder.

"Well, it depends on your price range. Andrea rosin is our highest end, but some people prefer Pirastro—it comes in more varieties."

Nori nods and studies them. The woman hesitates and says, "Excuse me, but, I just have to ask. Are you-are you Nori Oh?"

Nori looks up at the woman and nods, claiming her old stage name. "Yes, I am." Her shoulders stiffen under Remy's hand as she waits for the clerk's response.

"Oh, my goodness, I knew it," the woman says, excitedly. "My word, I am just about one of your biggest fans."

"Well, thank you," Nori says, with a shy smile.

"Can I ask, I know you've been busy with, you know, whatever you're doing these days, but are you going to put out a new album any time soon?"

"You know, I hadn't really thought about it."

"Well, if you do, I would certainly buy a copy."

"Thank you, that's so nice of you to say. What's your name?"

"Pam."

"It's nice to meet you, Pam." Nori picks out two packages and walks up to the counter. Pam follows and steps behind the register to ring Nori up. After Nori pays, Pam hesitates a second and says, "Could I ask—would you mind signing something for me?"

"Sure, I'd be happy to."

"I'll be right back," Pam says, holding her hands out in a "stay" gesture. Remy squeezes Nori's hand. They watch as Pam comes back with a stepladder and pulls down a framed poster of Nori that neither of them had noticed upon entering the store. It had been relatively high on the wall above the sheet music section. Remy grins at it—it shows a younger Nori with a hot pink streak in her hair and black lace sleeves over her tattooed arms, playing a violin and looking joyful.

Nori smiles and nods at the poster that had been hanging next to hers. "Are you a fan of Andrew Bird, too?"

"Oh yes, of course."

"God, he is phenomenal, right?"

"I saw the two of you perform together a few years ago, at Bonnaroo. It was probably the best show I've ever seen."

"Bonnaroo! Oh my god, that was such a trip." Nori hesitates. "I think the only place I could write on this poster and have it show up would be over my face."

"Oh, heavens, here, I have a silver Sharpie somewhere." Pam digs in a desk drawer and produces it.

Nori writes, "Pam, thanks for everything. XOXO Nori." Then she scrawls a peace sign and a flower.

Pam beams, and Nori waves goodbye. "It was nice to meet you," she says sweetly. Remy nods at the woman, and they walk back outside.

"You're a celebrity, _cher_," Remy says.

She laughs. "Only to music geeks. And people who think I'm Bjork."

"Who?"

"Uh, another singer. I don't really look that much like her. But it happens. Or it did." They reach their car, which is parked on the street, and Nori says, "Let's just keep walking and see what else is around. It's such a nice day out." And it is, a lovely warm day in late September.

As they walk down the sidewalk, Remy leans down and whispers, "So, _cher_, should I be jealous of this Andrew Bird? I knew you liked his music but I didn't know you knew him."

She grins at him. "Oh, yes, you should be _terribly_ jealous, darling. We spent months together on the road. And I've recorded music in his barn."

"Is that... code for something?"

"No. He has a recording studio in his barn. It's _killer_," she says wistfully.

"I bet we could rig something up in Xavier's barn."

"There are _horses_ in Xavier's barn."

"Horses like music too, _non_?"

He takes her hand and they explore downtown Salem Center. Remy drags her into a small jewelry store and the clerk, a thin, middle-aged man with a bad combover, lights up upon seeing a happy couple enter.

"How can I help you?" the clerk asks. He glances at Nori's hands. "Engagement rings, perhaps?"

"No, no, just looking," Remy says.

"I see," the clerk says. "Well, please let me know if I can help you with anything."

Nori crosses her arms and telepathically tells Remy, _What are we doing in here? _

_Just wanted to see if anything caught your eye._

_You know I don't like fancy jewelry. Especially not blood diamonds. _

_Just looking, cher._

He taps his finger over a pair of long diamond earrings. "Can we see these?"

"Of course, sir."

The man pulls them out and hands them to Nori, who smirks and says, "I think these would look better on you, dear," handing them to Remy.

"Nonsense," he says, holding them up against her face. "Lovely."

_Remy, let's get out of here. This is gross._

Remy sighs and hands the earrings back to the clerk. "Perhaps another time, _non_?"

"Of course, sir. Have a lovely evening."

Nori gives the man a tight smile as she turns heel and stalks out of the store.

"Sorry, _cher_. You know me... distracted by pretty, shiny things. Didn't think you'd mind."

She rolls her eyes. "I didn't like that guy. He wasn't thinking very nice things about us." Remy freezes, and Nori grabs his wrist. "No, Remy, keep going. It's not a big deal."

"It is a big deal. Don't want some cheap storekeep thinking about my girl."

"Remy, you can't pick fights with people over their thoughts. Especially not here. It's more trouble than it's worth. But for heaven's sake, promise me you'll never buy anything there."

"Course not. Nothing in there was good enough for you, anyway." He frowns.

She laughs and pulls his head down for a quick kiss, her bad mood disappearing as quickly as it had come. They stop for gelato at a cute little stand. Remy smiles, thinking of the night they'd stopped for ice cream after Nori had temporarily depowered Magneto.

She smiles up at him and licks her lips slowly.

"No fair reading my thoughts, _cherie,_" he pleads.

"I don't need to read your thoughts. I can read your eyes," she says, meeting his gaze with an alluring grin.

He leans in and kisses her, tasting hazelnut and pistachio. They keep walking and find a used record store. Nori lights up here, in the way that most girls Remy knew would have at the jewelry store. She pores through every item, radiating contentment. He stands behind her and smiles when she holds something up for him to see, though in truth it's mainly pretty meaningless to him. They find one of her albums. The cover is cracked and it's priced at $5.

"You want it?" he asks.

"Why on earth would I want it?" she asks. "I'll leave it for someone else to find."

She does acquire a small stack of CDs, all of which are unknown to Remy—Kim Wilde, The Ramones, the New Pornographers, and Lucinda Williams. The sullen teenage boy at the register takes her cash and says nothing. "Have a good night," Nori says.

"Whatever," the boy replies.

Nori smiles brightly as they walk back to the car. "The Ramones!" she exclaims. "They were some of the first real non-classical music I ever really listened to. My high school friend Jill's brother had their album, Mania. The first time I heard it, I swear to God, I thought we were going to get arrested for listening to it. I haven't listened to them in _forever_."

"Don't think I know them."

"C'mon, I bet you do. _Twenty-twenty-twenty-four hours to go, I wanna be sedated_? No? Ugh, it's a classic."

"Just glad you're happy, _cher_. You ready for dinner?"

"Yeah, I guess."

He takes her to Salem Center's only Mexican restaurant and she gets a little tipsy on a giant margarita. Her cheeks flush and her eyes get brighter, and she looks beautiful to Remy.

"Let's go dancing," she says.

"Fine with me." Remy doesn't know the town well, and he ends up taking Nori back to Harry's, which had a jukebox and a small dance floor.

"I _love_ this place," Nori says upon entering. Remy goes to get them drinks, and she goes over to the jukebox. Suddenly, she reappears by his side, looking vaguely embarrassed.

"Uh, Remy, I think maybe... maybe we should go."

He looks down at her. "We just got here, _cher_, what's wrong?"

She's blushing. "Well, I was looking at the jukebox, and some guy came over and he... said some stuff... and I asked him to leave me alone, and he tried to put his hand on my shoulder, and... I didn't let him."

"Did you hurt him?"

"No, no. But I just... I put up a shield. Like here." She gestures a few inches above her shoulder. "He tried to put his hand past it and then he stared at me real big and then he went back over to his friends."

Remy glances around the bar. "Well, we can go if you want. But I think it served him right. What'd he say to you anyway?"

She looks down. "It doesn't matter."

"I mean, did he threaten you?"

Gritting her teeth, she says, "He asked me if I would love him long time."

"Son of a bitch," Remy says, reaching into his pocket.

"Hey, hey, come on. I already freaked him out."

"Not as bad as he deserves."

She sighs and takes one of the beers from the counter in front of Remy. "Let's just... drink these and go."

"Thought you wanted to dance?"

She shakes her head. She looks up, warily, as a man with bleached blond hair approaches the bar.

"That's the guy," she hisses at Remy. The man is talking to the bartender and he glances at Nori. His face is twisted in a sneer, and Remy and Nori both ready themselves to leave. Instead, the bartender glares at Nori's assailant and speaks to him harshly. The blonde man's face grows red and he slams a beer bottle down on the counter.

Remy whispers, "Can't you, you know, eavesdrop?"

She shakes her head. "I don't think I could filter everyone out. I'm nervous."

So they watch, and the blonde man storms away from the bartender, toward Nori. She holds herself tall.

"I know what you are, mutie bitch," he hisses as he walks out the door.

"I am _not_ a bitch," she says, her chin up. Remy laughs.

The bartender approaches them and says, "Sorry about that. We don't tolerate harassment here. Those are on the house," he adds, nodding at their drinks.

"Thanks!" Nori says.

"And miss, if you are a mutant—I don't care. My sister's a mutant. But you'd be better off steering clear of guys like that."

"I know," she sighs. "It—I am a mutant. I didn't mean to. But he just—"

"You don't have to tell me. I know that guy. And, well, we don't get a lot of women around here. I'm sure whatever you did, he deserved it."

"I didn't _do_ anything. I kept him from doing something to _me_," she says, earnest in the way that the moderately drunk are. "What's your name?"

"I'm Harry," the man says, with a small smile.

"Ohh, this is your bar. It's nice! It's nice to meet you. I'm Nori." She extends a hand, and he takes it.

"Nice to meet you too, sweetie," Harry says.

"This is my boyfriend, Remy," she says. Remy extends his hand and smiles.

"Hey, Remy," Harry says, with a nod. Remy stands back as Nori charms Harry, inquiring about where he's from, how he came to open a bar here, what his favorite drink is... Finally, Harry has to pry himself away to serve some other customers, and Remy bends down to kiss Nori's forehead.

"Making friends wherever we go, I see," he says.

"I'm just a people person, Remy."

"I know."

A cheesy pop song comes on the jukebox, and Nori lights up. "Let's dance!"

"All right, _cher_," he says, allowing himself to be dragged to the small dance floor with a smile. A few other couples are there but none of them match their enthusiasm. Nori beams up at him and mouths the words to the song. He just likes holding her against him. They pass a fairly pleasant evening at Harry's, and they have a pretty good time when they get back to the mansion, too.


	22. Chapter 22

Their next excitement comes when Ororo goes to pick Kurt up from the airport. He'd returned to Germany to tie up some loose ends, but had ultimately decided to return to Xavier's. Nori decides to lie low for a few hours. The last time they'd seen each other was in Stryker's lab, and she doesn't want to bring up too many bad memories for Kurt. Anyway, he's busy being warmly greeted by all the children, who had been charmed by gentle Kurt on his last visit. But finally Ororo leads Kurt into the staff kitchen for a drink and they discover Nori sitting at the table with an ice pack tied to her arm with a pink bandana and headphones in her ears. She looks up, startled, and takes out the headphones.

She smiles at Kurt and he says, shyly, "Hello."

"Hi, Kurt," she says. Then she blinks. "Of course. You don't remember me, do you?"

Ororo raises her eyebrows. "You two have met?"

"_Nein_," Kurt says.

Nori nods. "We have met. It was with Stryker. I guess you don't remember. But you were kind to me. Thank you for that," she says. She stands and offers the blue man a hug, and he cautiously accepts. They step back and each absently brings a hand to the back of their neck.

"I'm Nori," she says, extending her right hand. "It's nice to meet you. Again."

"Yes, it is nice to meet you also. I am sorry I do not remember the first time."

"Can't blame you for that. We didn't really get to talk much anyway."

"How is it that you remember?"

"I guess I got out before Stryker was quite finished with me," she says lightly.

"_Dankt Gott im Himmel_," Kurt says.

"Yeah."

He nods at her arm. "You are hurt?"

She shrugs. "I play violin and guitar. Sometimes the tendon—in my wrist—gets swollen and I have to give it a rest, is all."

Kurt smiles, revealing his fangs. "I love music."

"Nori teaches music at the school," Ororo says.

"Do you know any, how do you say, hymns?"

Nori smiles. "I do, actually. I went to Catholic school."

"Ah! You are a Catholic, too?"

"Not… exactly. But I still know some hymns. Let's sing together sometime."

"I would like that very much," Kurt says shyly.

"Me too."

"What's your favorite hymn?"

Kurt considers before replying, "In English, Amazing Grace."

Nori beams. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yes." Nori smiles and starts to sing it. Surprised, Kurt joins in after a few bars. Ororo watches with a small smile. Afterward, Kurt bows slightly.

"You have a beautiful voice," he says.

"So do you," Nori says, honestly. "Thanks for singing with me."

"It was my pleasure, _fraulein_."

"I can see you two will get along just fine," Ororo says, handing Kurt the glass of water they'd come into the kitchen for in the first place.

"_Danke_," Kurt says. "And yes, I think so too."

Nori smiles. Kurt and Ororo join her at the table, and Kurt tells them stories about his life in the circus. He and Nori swap stories about belligerent audience members and personal triumphs, and the two quickly rekindle whatever friendship had begun in Stryker's lab. Ororo is quietly furious to think about those two gentle souls in the hands of William Stryker, but she's pleased that they've reconnected.

A few weeks later, Scott presents Remy, Nori, and Kurt with their official X-Men uniforms. He assures Nori that it isn't real leather, and she smiles. They don't have call to use them until the following month, when Cyclops calls them all into the situation room to tell them about a lab that's kidnapping mutants and experimenting on them.

"This is voluntary," Cyclops says, looking into Nori's eyes. "You're all welcome to opt out."

But everyone, including Echo, looks at him steadily and nods. Cyclops smiles. "Good. Well, here's what we'll do," he says, showing a map of the facility and explaining that Nightcrawler and Gambit will be in charge of disabling security. Echo will telepathically link them for communication. They'll try to minimize harm to guards, but their main priority will be to make it to the lab and extract as many subjects as possible. They'll leave after dinner. It's Friday night and they believe the security will be lax—the more experienced guards will have the night off, leaving the facility in the hands of more recent hires.

Echo raises her hand. "Is this a government lab?"

"No. A private pharmaceutical company. So we won't be facing US soldiers, but they do appear to have formidable private security. But nothing we can't handle, I'm sure. The security seems mainly to keep their subjects in line. Their subjects are taken from homeless shelters and the street. They don't expect anyone to be looking for them."

Echo's eyes narrow, and she nods.

That night, Cyclops and Storm fly the Blackbird and Echo sits next to Gambit, nervously shaking her foot. "You'll be just fine, _cher_," Gambit reassures her. "You've practiced so much. We'll all be together."

She nods. Nightcrawler catches her eye and says, "Let us pray." He, Echo, and Gambit whisper the Lord's Prayer and cross themselves, while Wolverine and Beast look on somewhat skeptically. Nori smiles. She does feel more relaxed. But still, when they land the jet and Echo links everyone's thoughts, she can't help but send out low-grade anxiety to the rest of the team.

_Sorry_, she thinks. Gambit squeezes her shoulder before he and Nightcrawler slip off to take care of the security system.

_We are in_, Nightcrawler sends to everyone.

_There were a couplea guards just inside, but we took care of them,_ Gambit sends. _Looks like there will be a few more guarding their test subjects_, he thinks bitterly.

Echo walks in with the rest of the team. Her anxiety is under control and she senses a few guards before she sees them. She uses her TK to yank their guns out of their hands and then to hit them in the head with their own weapons. The guards pass out, but she somehow causes one of the guns to go off.

_Shit, sorry. I think the other guards heard that._

Gambit sends a mental shrug. _We disabled the alarm system._

_They'll probably still have walkie talkies,_ Cyclops thinks. _Let's move quickly._

They scurry down the hall, still trying to stay quiet. When they make their way into the main lab, Echo takes one look at the mutant test subjects and starts overwhelming the rest of the X-Men with her fear and flashbacks. The guards shoot at them, but Cyclops makes quick work of them with his beams. They try to free the subjects but find it hard to think. Cyclops nudges Gambit, but he has the strongest connection with Echo and is nearly as upset as she is. This is different from in the Danger Room, when she would just get overwhelmed from having too many thoughts in her head and shut everyone out. This is painful. Wolverine screams in rage and slashes at equipment and cages.

Nightcrawler grits his teeth and teleports next to Echo. He gently hugs her and quietly sings the opening bars to Amazing Grace. Softly, she joins him, and her mental fog lifts.

_Sorry..._ she thinks to everyone. She's a little unsteady on her feet still, and Nightcrawler whispers, "You must be strong, to help them."

"Right. You're right." She takes a deep breath and goes with him, opening cages and helping confused and skittish mutant captives. They're frightened by her empathy and she forces a tight shield in place, while still maintaining her telepathic connection with the X-Men. It's tricky, and it takes more mental energy than just leaving her empathy in place. Beast is working at the computer system, trying to ascertain details about the secret project all those mutants had suffered for. Echo cautiously stretches out with her telepathy.

_More guards are coming_,she thinks.

_Echo, Nightcrawler, Gambit—you three take this group of mutants back to the jet. Try to take care of the guards on the way. We'll stay here as long as possible and try to free the others._ He hesitates before adding, _If you don't hear from us within an hour, leave._

_Don't say that! Anyway, none of us knows how to fly the jet, Cyclops_, Echo sends.

_Gambit does. Go, _Cyclops says.

"Come with us," Echo says, softly, to the bewildered gaggle of mutants. She thinks they've been drugged. She uses her empathy to send reassurance. She picks out a few of the larger ones and asks them for help carrying the few unconscious subjects. In all, they lead ten mutants back down the labyrinthine hallways. They run into another ten guards. Echo grabs their guns, but isn't sure what to do with them. She doesn't want them to accidentally go off, so she just holds them high in the air. Gambit tosses a handful of charged cards at them, knocking them back. One of the freed mutants hesitantly waves a hand. A wisp of fire shoots out but it dissipates before it reaches the guards.

_It's fine! Just go as fast as you can!_ Echo telepathically shouts, as she uses her TK to shove all the guards who hadn't been knocked out by Gambit against the wall. The ragtag group runs to the jet.

_Hurry, _she tells Cyclops. _There are like ten guards in the hall. I'm holding them still with my TK but I'm not sure now much longer..._

_Let them go, _Cyclops says. _We'll take care of them. Help the survivors._

_Okay..._

She lets the guards go, but tries to keep the guns up as long as possible. They're not struggling against her like the men were, but it still takes energy. She sighs and closes her eyes.

Nightcrawler takes over organizing the confused refugees. Gambit checks in on Echo, who sends him soft empathetic reassurance. She's approaching the limits of her power, and she whispers, "Help Nightcrawler. I'm okay."

"All right, _cher_," he says. He runs a hand down her cheek and then turns to Nightcrawler, who's cheerfully passing out bottles of water.

She's not sure how much time has passed when Cyclops tells her, _We're coming. There are six more with us._

_Okay._

She's shutting out everything except her telepathic link, and she's surprised to feel a hand on her shoulder.

"You did good, kid," Wolverine's rough voice says. "I think you can drop those guns now."

She lets them go and droops a little in her seat. "Thanks," she whispers.

"She all right?" she hears him ask, his voice turned away from her.

"Just tired," she says.

"We're done here. You can rest, darlin'."

"Okay." She dissolves the telepathic link and her breathing slows. When she wakes up, she's in her pajamas and Remy is playing solitaire in bed next to her.

"Hey, _cher_," he says. "How you feel?"

"Headache," she admits. He grabs a bottle of Tylenol and a glass of water off the bedside table and hands them to her. She takes a few pills and says, "Thanks. Wait, how are you? How did everything go?"

"Just fine. Hank wanted to look all the mutants we rescued over in the medbay. But he said he thought everyone'd be okay once the drugs wear off. Xavier was with him."

She sighs. "I fucked up, didn't I?"

"You did great, _cher_. Everybody made it out alive. 'S'all that matters." He puts the cards on the bedside table and holds his arms out to her. She snuggles up against him.

"Everyone's okay?"

"Everyone."

"Are the mutants we rescued going to stay here?"

"Maybe. If they want to. I think we're all having a meeting with them tomorrow."

"Time's it?" she asks sleepily.

"Little after two."

"Were you waiting up for me?"

"Wanted to make sure you were all right."

She tips her face up and kisses him. "'S go to sleep," she says.

"'Course." He reaches over to turn the light off. They fall asleep together, but Remy wakes up a few hours later when Nori pulls him into her nightmare. He sighs and shakes her awake.

"Sweet girl, it was just a dream," he murmurs.

"It wasn't, and you know it."

"Just a memory, now. Stryker's dead. He can't hurt us anymore." He holds her tightly. "_Cherie_, you want an Ambien?"

"No," she sighs. "It's too late. I think I'll just get up now."

"It's not even 5," he protests.

"'S'okay. I fell asleep before you did."

"You didn't fall asleep, you passed out."

"Don't nitpick." She kisses his cheek. "I'm going to go do yoga in the greenhouse. I'll see you back here in a little while. Go back to sleep, love." He props himself up on his elbows and watches her take her pink yoga mat and leave. Then he falls back to sleep, just as she knew he'd be able to.

She's starting off simple. Her face is against the mat in the comfort of child's pose when she hears someone else enter the greenhouse. She assumes it's Logan, but she turns to check.

"How ya doin', darlin'?"

"Fine."

He snorts. "You look like hell."

Self-consciously, she smoothes her hair back. "You sure know how to make a girl feel good, Logan."

"You get _any_ sleep last night?"

"You saw me sleep on the Blackbird."

"That wasn't real sleep."

She shrugs. "I got some more after that."

Logan narrows his eyes. "The Boy Scout had no business asking you to go on that mission."

"I'm an adult, Logan. I chose to go. I wanted... wanted to help." She looks down. "I'm sorry I freaked out."

"Don't apologize, kid."

"Logan. I'm _not_ _a kid_," Nori says, sounding both tired and patient.

"Just tryin' to look out for ya."

In the same tired, patient voice, she says, "We all know that I'm damaged goods, Logan. I'm probably always going to have nightmares—you know what that's like. But you were the one who wanted me to train in the Danger Room—"

"—so you could _defend_ yourself, not so you could invade pharmaceutical companies!"

"Shh. Maybe the very best thing I can do for myself is to _use_ these powers I have, to help others, as I have been helped. And if along the way I see something I wish I hadn't seen, well—so what. I've lived through things I wish I hadn't seen." She smiles up at him. "I do appreciate you looking out for me. I do. You're a good friend, Logan. But you have to remember, you're my friend. You're not my parent."

Logan says nothing, and Nori regards his face for a moment. Then she gracefully rolls to her feet and rises on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. "Or I could use a big brother," she says, sweetly. He ruffles her hair.

"You sure you're all right, darlin'?"

"Fine as I'll ever be. Now let me do my yoga, and I'll see you at breakfast. All right?"

Logan nods, and turns to leave. She calls after him, "Thanks for looking in on me, Logan."

She does a long, slow, restorative flow and feels much better when she returns to her room. Remy's still sleeping, and she smiles him. She hops in the shower and covers the giant black circles under her eyes with concealer. She's in the second half of her thirties now and her face just can't hide sleeplessness like it used to. She puts on gray leggings and a bright purple sweater dress and feels pretty good about herself, Logan's morning insult be damned. She's debating belt options when their alarm clock goes off and she senses Remy's mind jolt awake.

"You're a sight for sore eyes," he murmurs. His voice still makes Nori a little weak in the knees sometimes, especially first thing in the morning, when it's still rough from sleep.

She blushes slightly when she turns around and smiles at him. "Morning, love." Drawn to him, she sits next to him on the bed and gives him a quick kiss, tangling her fingers in his chin-length hair. He pulls away and frowns, tracing a finger under her eyes.

She glowers. "I thought I did a good makeup job."

"Pretty good," he says, "But I know your face. We'll make sure you get some sleep tonight."

"Yeah, Logan already gave me a sleep lecture."

"When did you talk to Logan?"

"He found me in the greenhouse. Told me Scott had no business asking me to go on that mission yesterday."

Remy narrows his eyes. "_Oui_?"

She shrugs. "He's just looking out for me, but... I'm not a kid, you know?"

"I know," Remy murmurs, with a hint of a smirk.

She gives him an amused glare, and he strokes her cheek. "I worry about you too, _cher_, but I think it's good if you use your powers. As long as you want to."

She nods. "Yeah, I mean, if I can use them to help people, then... then I have a moral imperative to do so, right? As long as I don't fuck it up for the rest of the team."

He shakes his head. "That's why there's a team here, _cher_. To look out for each other. I-I'm sorry I couldn't help you, yesterday..."

"I know, love. It was hard for you too." She leans in and kisses him. "Now go get dressed. I'm hungry."

He smiles at her and rises out of bed, heading straight for the bathroom. She picks up her book off the bedside table. She's making her way through the _Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls_ series and trying not to be too embarrassed that it's aimed at fourth graders. She has not been practicing reading and writing as much as she needs to if she ever wants to return to her pre-brain damage reading level. Somehow it just hasn't been at the top of her list of priorities.

Remy steps out of the bathroom and pauses for a moment, watching Nori bent over her book with a look of fierce concentration. She feels his eyes on her and glances up with a small smile.

"Clothes, LeBeau," she says. A pair of fresh boxers—white ones with pink hearts, that Nori had picked out for him on a shopping trip with Ro—fly out of the drawer and hit him in the face.

"Love you," he replies, and he pulls on the boxers. He tops them with a pair of faded jeans and a deep red shirt. He studies himself in the full-length mirror for the exact maximum amount of time possible before Nori telekinetically hits him with something, then pulls on socks and shoes.

"Well, let's go, _cher_," he says nonchalantly.

She lets out her warm, free laugh and puts on a pair of pink ballet flats. "Sorry to keep you waiting," she teases on their way out the door.

At breakfast, the adults all seem a little surprised by Nori's good humor, but no one says anything. After breakfast, Scott pulls her aside.

"Hey. Are you all right? I didn't get a chance to talk to you last night."

"I'm okay, Scott. Sorry for melting down last night."

He puts a hand on her shoulder. "Hey. Don't apologize. You did really well, especially for your first time out. I-I wasn't expecting it to be quite so grim."

"Well, then, it's all the better that we got them out, right?"

"Right." He gives her a terse smile and taps his forehead. "Can you call everybody to the situation room in 10 minutes?"

"Sure." She reaches out easily with her telepathy and spreads the message. Then, with nothing else to do, she goes to the sit room early. Kurt's already there, and she smiles at him. "Thanks," she says, "For helping me last night."

"Of course," Kurt says, gently. "I am happy to help a friend in need. Are you all right this morning?"

"Yeah. Fine, thanks." She squeezes his hand. The rest of the team trickles in and Scott starts the debriefing. He tells them that the mutants they'd rescued had lived underground New York, in old, abandoned subway tunnels and new ones they'd created themselves. They wanted to live away from the normal humans who had mocked them. They called themselves Morlocks, and from what Hank could tell, the company had been working on developing a cure for mutant powers—thus far unsuccessfully. They all look around nervously, and if Remy looks more nervous than most, no one notices, except for Nori. She sends him a mental hand-squeeze.

"We have offered the Morlocks refuge at the school, but they have chosen to return to New York. All but one." He rises to the door, and Hank comes in with a pale young pink-haired woman.

"This is Sarah, called Marrow."

"Hello," she says, shyly glancing around the room. The X-Men go around the table and introduce themselves. When it's Remy's turn, he finally looks up from the table and Marrow's eyes widen and she recoils.

"You!" she says.

Remy looks down.

"You-you saved me," she whispers. Remy's eyes fill with tears, and the rest of the table looks on in confusion.

"I always wondered what happened to you," he whispers.

"Where are the rest of the men who were there that day?" she demands.

"They... I was tricked. I didn't know what was going to happen, and when I realized...I just saw you, and you were so young, and... I am so sorry. _Je suis desole_, can you forgive me? I am not one of them."

Marrow's crying too, and so is Nori. Everyone else looks bewildered.

Logan speaks up, "You two mind telling us what the hell you're talking about?"

Gambit takes a breath and says, "A long time ago... Sinister came to me, and said he needed my help... needed me to help him find some people who were hiding. Said they were in danger and he wanted to protect them. And I, damn fool that I was, I believed him... I didn't know... but..."

"But they killed us all," Marrow says. "Except me."

"It was a massacre," Gambit says. Nori has her hand over her mouth and is using her empathy to gently send out support.

"Why didn't you tell us about this before, Gambit?" Cyclops asks, angrily.

"It was so long ago... and I was... ashamed. And I honestly, I honestly didn't recognize Marrow last night. I was a little preoccupied."

"She was with our group, one of the last to be rescued," Storm says.

"I remember your eyes," Marrow says. "I was afraid of them at first, but they were... kind. Frightened, like mine. The other man with red eyes... his were terrible. I've dreamed of killing him since that day."

Remy sighs. "You and me both."

"What motive would Sinister have for arranging such a massacre?" Cyclops asks, looking at Gambit suspiciously.

"I don't know! I told you, I didn't know what was going to happen," Gambit pleads.

"It's true," Echo says. "I've seen his memories of it." More tears roll down her cheeks. "He didn't know. It was awful."

Cyclops' face relaxes slightly, though he's still tense.

Logan speaks up. "They're both tellin' the truth, far as I can tell. And I'm usually pretty good at sniffin' out lies."

Cyclops hesitates. He's sure that Echo is telling the truth as she knows it, but he knows Gambit to be an excellent liar. He could probably fool Echo, who is so trusting and maybe even Wolverine. He's not sure how much he believes that lies have a scent. But Gambit might not be able to fool the Professor.

He turns and asks, "Gambit, would you let the Professor read your memory? Just to confirm your account?"

Nori crosses her arms over her chest and appears slightly hostile. "Hasn't he earned your trust?" she asks.

Remy just looks defeated. "'S fine," he says. He walks over to Xavier's spot, near the door, and kneels in front of him.

Xavier smiles at him gently and places a hand on his face. He closes his eyes for several minutes and when he opens them he gives Remy a pained smile. "Remy speaks the truth," he says.

Cyclops sighs. "I'm sorry, Gambit. I just... I just had to be sure."

Remy shrugs, his eyes lifeless. Nori looks furious.

"I'm sorry," Marrow says. "I-I didn't want to cause trouble here."

"No trouble," Gambit says, softly. "I'm glad you're all right."

"Well," Cyclops says, clearly at a loss. "So... so Marrow is going to stay with us. The rest of the Morlocks prefer to return to their home, and Storm, Beast, and I will escort them there tonight. Marrow... we'll give you some time to adjust to life at Xavier's before we talk about what your role here might be."

"I want to join the X-Men," Marrow says, firmly. "I want to fight bastards like the ones who took me and my people. Like the ones who killed my people."

Cyclops nods, slowly. "We can talk about that later. For now, perhaps Storm can give you a tour of the mansion?"

"Come with me, Marrow," Storm says, rising.

"Yeah, all right," Marrow says, with one last look at Gambit.

After they leave the room, Nori stands and says, with a quiet strength, "How can you judge Remy for something he did almost twenty years ago? Something he didn't know he was doing? Who among us hasn't done something they regret? Something they'd rather forget doing? Who among us is pure?" She walks over to Remy and takes his hand, leading him out of the sit room before anyone can respond. They return to their bedroom and she strokes his hair and holds him, using her empathy to shine a fierce love on him. They stay that way for hours, until there's a knock at the door.

_It's Cyclops_, she tells Remy. _Do you want me to let him in?_

Remy nods and sits up, pulling his knees to his chin. Nori glances at him, recognizing her own posture of retreat. Rather than use her TK, she stands and opens the door, wanting to put herself in between Scott and Remy.

Scott has a tray of food and an apologetic look. "I was a dick earlier," he says. "I'm sorry."

Nori nods, once. Her face is uncharacteristically hard. "Come in."

He sets the food on the bedside table and sits on a chair. Nori twines her fingers with Remy's and looks protective. Her hair is mussed and her eye makeup is all over her face but she hasn't looked in a mirror since before breakfast.

Scott sighs. "I'll be honest, Remy. I've had a really hard time trusting you. I feel like I don't know anything about you. And I know... I know the Professor trusts you, which should have been enough for me. But I... I guess I'm just suspicious by nature."

Remy nods. "Well, what do you want to know?"

"No," Scott says, shaking his head. "Nori was right, before. It doesn't matter what you have done. You've done right by me, by the school, since you got here. You have earned my trust. I was just... too stubborn to give it to you."

"I get it," Remy says. "I done some things I'm not too proud of."

"So've I," Scott says. Remy nods and extends a hand to Scott, who takes it. "Now, you should both try to eat some lunch," Scott adds, standing to leave.

"_Adieu_," Remy says.

"Bye," Nori says. Her face has softened and Scott thinks that perhaps he's been forgiven.

After Scott leaves, Nori and Remy smile at each other. Nori telekinetically brings the food tray over to the bed and they eat. Afterward, Nori curls up and falls asleep. Remy wraps an arm around her and lies quietly with her, relaxing in her presence. He feels proud that a girl like her would defend him so fiercely.


	23. Chapter 23

A few hours after Scott's visit, there's another knock on the door. Nori bolts awake and Remy tightens his arm around her. "Who is it?" she calls.

"Logan."

"Oh, come in," she says, and telekinetically pulls the door open. Logan smiles at her rumpled face.

"Glad to see you're gettin' some sleep, darlin'."

"Well, I _was_, until _somebody_ woke me up," she says with a grin.

"Sorry."

"Ain't no thing. What's up?" She pulls herself into a cross-legged seated position.

"Just wanted to see how you two were holding up. Cyke can be a real dick."

"Yeah, he came by to apologize earlier," Nori says. Logan's still standing in the doorway, and she says, "Come in, come in."

They both look at Remy, who shrugs. "Just... some bad memories, is all. I'm fine."

Logan says, hesitantly, "Y'know... I don't remember anything from before we met the first time. But from what I can tell... I'm sure I've done worse things."

Remy shrugs. "Y'did some good things, too."

Nori stands up and paces around the room. She catches sight of her face in the full-length mirror and says, "Jesus." She retreats to the bathroom to wash up. Logan and Remy share a slightly uncomfortable silence. They need Nori around to make it okay for them to express emotions. She comes out of the bathroom, her face washed clean of makeup and her under-eye circles visible. She shrugs and says, "I figured there was a pretty good chance I was going to cry again today, so why bother with makeup?"

"Y'look beautiful, _cherie_," Remy says.

She gives him a crooked grin and pulls her guitar out, strumming it idly. Remy knows she's only doing it to focus her thoughts, but he pleads, "Sing for us, _cher_."

"We-ell, okay." She taps the guitar for rhythm and starts singing the first verse of "Thunder Road" a capella. She kicks in with the guitar around the chorus. Remy frowns as he listens to the lyrics, as if for the first time.

_You can hide 'neath your covers and study your pain_

_Make crosses from your lovers, throw roses in the rain_

_Waste your summer praying in vain_

_For a savior to rise from these streets_

_Well now, I ain't no hero, that's understood_

_All the redemption I can offer, girl, is beneath this dirty hood_

_With a chance to make it good somehow_

_Hey, what else can we do now?_

He feels like he's been kicked. He can tell by Nori's face that she's really contemplating the song too, and after she finishes she pauses for a long time before playing another song.

_When you're weary, feeling small_

_When tears are in your eyes,_

_I will dry them all_

_I'm on your side_

_When times get rough_

_And friends just can't be found_

_Like a bridge over troubled water_

_I will lay me down_

Then she quietly strums her guitar and says, "You know, Paul Simon always says he's embarrassed by that song. He says it's too cheesy, too literal. But he also says that it was true, when he wrote it. That sometimes there are sentiments that... that you just have to say, straight out. You know?"

Neither man responds, and she rolls her eyes and plays a few more Simon & Garfunkel songs. Finally, she puts her guitar down and taps her fingers anxiously on her thigh instead.

After a few moments of silence, she says, quietly, "This is a really lame party, you guys."

Remy laughs. "You are so high maintenance."

Logan grunts. "You two wanna go shoot some pool?"

"Obviously," Nori says.

Remy nods, and they head down to the rec room—after Remy stops in the bathroom to fix his hair. Nori grins knowingly at Logan, and Remy catches her when he steps out. "What're you smiling about, _cher_?"

"You," she says, simply. She holds hands with both men as they walk down the hallway.

A few of the younger kids are in the rec room playing video games, but the pool table is open. Logan's never played pool against Nori and he's startled when she wins. They play cutthroat and she knocks all of Logan's balls in the pocket in one turn.

"You're not using your TK there, are you, darlin'?"

"Logan!" she chastises him. "I did make a living in bars, you know. I learned a few things."

"Really."

Nori throws her head back and laughs. "Really."

"'S'true," Remy offers.

Warren sticks his head in the rec room. Nori knows the winged boy has been having trouble making friends, and she invites him to play pool with them.

He blushes. "Really?"

"Yeah, c'mon."

Warren casts a nervous glance at Logan, who shrugs. "Grab a cue, kid."

Nori takes Warren on as a teammate and offers him a few pointers, and though he's inexperienced, he proves to be a decent shot. Nori holds back a little and makes sure everyone gets a turn.

Warren plays two games with them and then politely excuses himself. "Bye, Warren!" Nori calls. "Seeya around!"

"Bye," he says.

"Poor kid," she murmurs after he leaves.

"Not so poor," Logan says, "He's going to inherit a multi-billion dollar company."

"He'd trade it for parents who'd actually listen to him."

"Poor little rich boy?" Logan asks, only a little mockingly.

"Poor little rich boy," Nori says, gently. Remy smiles and walks around the pool table to kiss Nori on the forehead.

They make it through dinner easily; Scott and Marrow are both gone, accompanying the rest of the Morlocks back to their home in New York. Afterward, Remy, Logan, and Nori head out to Harry's. Nori continues to charm Harry, and the three mutant vigilantes drink a lot of cheap beer and play pool. Nori puts all of her quarters in the jukebox and plays classic rock and old country and New Wave and punk. At the end of the night, Nori puts an arm around each man's waist and says, seriously, "We are blessed."

"Are you drunk, darlin'?"

"No. Maybe. A little. But it's true."

"She's right," Remy slurs.

"You're definitely drunk, Cajun."

"So?"

Nori giggles. "He's a nice drunk."

When they return to the mansion, Logan tries to return to his room, but Nori tugs him forward.

"No, stay with us."

Logan rolls his eyes and follows them. The three of them lie down on the bed and Logan isn't sure what's happening. The room smells, not unpleasantly, of smoke and sex. "You're both drunk," he says, brusquely.

"So?" Nori says, belligerently. She has her head on Remy's chest but she's still holding Logan's hand tightly, her arm stretched out behind her. Logan looks questioningly at Remy over Nori's head, but the Cajun's pretty out of it. Nori tries to telekinetically turn the lights off but in the process she knocks the bedside lamp to the ground.

"Oh well," she says, sing-songily. She's still holding Logan's hand and he figures, _What the hell_. This doesn't seem to be an invitation to a three-way—and, he wonders, would he accept if it were? God knew he'd listened to them fuck often enough—and he closes his eyes and falls asleep, fully clothed, with the two closest friends he ever remembers having.

Somewhat predictably, they all wake up a few hours later. Nori had combined all of their nightmares into one, shared amongst the three of them. Logan had sat straight up and popped his claws, but luckily no one was close enough to be hurt. Nori had burst into tears when she tried to turn the light on and found it broken. The sound of her crying brings Logan back to the present. He stands up and turns on the main overhead light. He sees Nori clinging to Remy and feels that he should leave, but doesn't really want to.

In his head, he hears, _Come back, Logan_, and he obliges. _Hold me_. _Please_.

He hesitates—Remy's already holding her, and she has her back to him—but her mental voice is persistent. So he gingerly lies on his side and throws an arm over her. His hand lands on Remy's shoulder. Remy says nothing, but his shoulder feels warm and relaxed. He rolls slightly toward Logan, bringing the three of them into closer contact. Nori makes a contented sound and uses her empathy to send out a cozy, safe feeling. The three of them fall back to sleep with the light on, under Nori's gentle mental umbrella.

Logan wakes up around seven, fully rested but momentarily confused. His arm is around his best friend's girl. But she's fully dressed, and so's he, and... Remy's there, too. He blinks and remembers the previous night's events. He thinks he should feel embarrassed, but he doesn't. It feels right. He feels... it feels nice, to lie here with a pretty woman in his arms. But he knows she's not his to keep, and... he's not in love with Nori, not the way he loved Jean, but... he realizes he wants what Remy and Nori have. He thinks about getting up, but if he does he's sure it will wake Nori. So he lies there, reflectively, waiting for his friends to wake up.

It's Sunday, and they're expected to attend morning chapel at 11. He's starting to wonder if they'll make it—not that he cares, but Nori always attends. But Nori stirs around 10. She twists and looks up at Logan.

"Hey. Thanks for sticking around," she says.

"Any time," he says, and means it. She surprises him with a kiss on the cheek, and then she gracefully pulls herself out from between the two men. Not trusting her TK, she gets up and comes back with a glass of water and some Tylenol.

"You want some?" she asks, then shakes her head. "Of course you don't."

"Yeah, I'm good," he says.

Nori takes the pills, then drains the rest of the water glass. She rises to refill it in the bathroom sink, and Logan looks uncomfortably at the sleeping Cajun. Nori stands in the bathroom doorway and smiles.

"He'll sleep forever, if you let him," she says fondly.

"That why you have so many early morning escapades?"

"Yeah. He'd sit up with me if I woke him, but... y'know, he might as well sleep. 'Specially if I can count on you to follow me around the mansion," she says, with a smile.

"Just lookin' out for you, darlin'."

"I know. You're a good friend, Logan."

He snorts. "Not too many people would say that about me."

"Doesn't mean it's not true." She ducks back into the bathroom and comes back with a toothbrush. She stands in the doorway brushing her teeth, which feels extremely intimate to Logan.

He sighs. "I should go."

She shrugs. "Mmph mm mph." She spits in the sink. "If you want."

"Seeya around," he says, padding out into the hallway.

She takes a long shower and emerges feeling somewhat human again. She'd definitely drunk too much the night before. That'd teach her to go out drinking with a depressed card dealer and a man with a healing factor. She dresses quickly and slips down to the kitchen. She comes back up with tea, coffee, juice, Pop Tarts, and biscuits. She's not sure where the biscuits had come from, but she's pretty excited about them.

She sets the tray down on the bedside table and telekinetically picks up all the broken lamp pieces, dumping them in the trash.

"Wake up, love, there's coffee," she says, giving Remy a gentle shake.

He slowly opens his brilliant scarlet eyes and makes an incoherent sound.

"C'mon, it's almost 11."

She hands him Tylenol and water and he gratefully accepts both.

"Logan was here last night, oui?"

"Yeah, he just left."

"We didn't..."

"He just slept here. We all needed it."

Remy nods. Nori opens a pack of Pop-Tarts and breaks it into small pieces, which she eats one at a time.

"Mmm, strawberry-flavored chemicals."

Remy looks doubtfully at the food but sits up and takes the coffee.

"Coffee'd be better with a little whiskey," he says. "Hair o' the dog and all."

She rolls her eyes. "A little whiskey is the last thing you need. I'm going to go down to chapel. You going to be all right?"

"I'll be so lonely, cher."

She kisses his forehead and says, tenderly, "You smell _awful_. I'll see you in an hour."

She files into chapel a minute late and sits quietly in the back row. Xavier holds Quaker silent services, and she uses the time to meditate. Anyone is given the option to speak up "if the spirit moves them," but it's rare. The students are usually grumpy, and often arrive in pajamas. They sit in silence for an hour. Kurt stands up at the end and says the Lord's Prayer. He's probably the most devout person at the school, and he has trouble with the silent service. Nori wishes he could go into Catholic services in town, but he's afraid. And probably rightfully so.

Nori lingers at the end of chapel, greeting a few of the students and just making sure that everyone sees that she's okay. She knows that rumors swirl about her mental health if she goes missing for too long. After the students quickly file out, Scott asks after Remy.

"He's okay. How are you?"

Scott sighs. "Last night was difficult," he admits, and she squeezes his hand.

"But everyone's okay?"

"Yeah. Just... the way they live... in those tunnels..." he shakes his head. "But they seemed happy to return."

She shrugs. "You gave them the option. If that's how they choose to live, well... that's their choice. Not everybody wants to live at a boarding school, you know?"

"Guess not."

"You gotta play the hand you're dealt, Scott."

He laughs. "Sounds like advice Remy would give."

"Doesn't mean it's not good advice."

"Fair enough."

She smiles. "Seeya, Scott," she says, and heads upstairs to her room. Remy's coffee cup is empty and he's eaten all the biscuits, but he hasn't moved from the bed.

She sighs. "Greedy! I was going to eat one of those."

"Sorry," he mumbles. She strokes his hair.

"S'alright. I guess you needed them more than I did."

"Don't stop," he says, as she pulls her hands out of his hair. She smiles and keeps petting him. Remy loves physical affection in all forms, and she's happy to provide it. He sighs in shameless enjoyment, and she moves one hand down to rub his shoulders.

"My poor hungover baby," she says.

"You drank as much as I did," he murmurs.

"I definitely did not," she says, continuing to caress him. "If I had drunk as much as you did, I think I would have alcohol poisoning."

"Mmph."

"All right, love, I'm going to go get some more food. You want anything?"

"Coffee?"

"'Course." She kisses him. "I'll be back soon."

She runs into Ororo in the kitchen, who asks, "How's Remy?"

Nori rolls her eyes and says, "Hungover."

"I mean, after yesterday..."

"Oh. He's okay. He was... I mean, they're really bad memories for him. But mostly... he was afraid that everyone would reject him, you know? I mean, the way Scott reacted... was probably the worst possible thing for Remy. But Scott apologized, and Logan was really great. I think he'll recover. Especially after some more coffee."

Ororo frowns. "I should apologize to him. I should have spoken up."

Nori shrugs. "Tempers were running high yesterday," she says, carefully.

"And how are _you_ doing, Nori?"

"Little hungover, too. But fine."

"I'm glad to hear it."

Nori smiles and inclines her head slightly. "Seeya, Ro," she says, balancing a cup of coffee and a tray with a random compilation of leftovers and a bottle of Tabasco sauce.

Upstairs she runs one hand lightly up and down Remy's arm and uses the other to eat cold pizza. Remy dumps a lot of Tabasco sauce on a slice of pizza and eats it.

"Better?" she asks.

"_Oui_."

"Good, then go shower."

"All by myself, _petite_?"

She sighs. "All right, you big baby."

He gives her a perfect cat-who-ate-the-canary grin, and they shower together.

"Remy, I'm pretty sure my tits are clean," she murmurs.

"Sure? I'd hate to miss a spot."

She laughs and surrenders to Remy's soapy grasp. Finally, they deem each other sufficiently clean and they dress.

"Let's watch a movie," she says.

Remy makes a face. "Don't wanna go downstairs."

"You have to eventually, you know. But we can just put something up on my laptop."

"Okay."

She puts on _Adaptation_ and they curl up in bed to watch. Remy grows bored and kisses Nori. She reciprocates, and the movie is forgotten. But at dinner time, she forces Remy to go downstairs.

"People are going to miss you if you stay up here too long," she says.

"Well, now, that's probably true," he admits. They both preen in the mirror. He's enough taller than her that they can both check their hair in the same mirror. Nori smiles serenely and carries their dishes back down to the kitchen. Buoyed by Nori's empathy and his own natural confidence, Remy faces the dining hall with grace. Marrow sits across from them and they hesitantly catch up, with Nori cheerfully filling the awkward silences.

That night, when they're alone, Nori confesses that Marrow makes her a little nervous. "She's bloodthirsty," she whispers.

"She won't hurt you," Remy says, automatically.

"No, no. But just... on the team... I don't know."

"Summers'll take care of that."

"Yeah," Nori says, though she doesn't sound quite convinced. Still, she falls into an uneventful sleep.


	24. Chapter 24

Weeks pass, and Marrow fits in well enough at the school. She's a little bitter, a little jaded—but so are plenty of the students. She trains with the X-Men but also takes some classes, since she's never been in school before. The students are a bit wary about their much-older peer, but they treat her politely.

December comes and Nori proudly has her students put on a winter concert for the few students who didn't take music, the other teachers and the handful of parents who come to pick up their kids. She'd worried about what would happen if parents saw her—technically she's still on the FBI's Most Wanted list for her time with Magneto, and she's not sure what parents will think. But she pulls her hair back and puts on a pair of glasses, and trains the students to call her Miss Watanabe, which is her identity on paper. She's not worried about them; those kids know about keeping secrets. The concert goes off without a hitch, and Nori practically glows with happiness.

Most of the students go home for Christmas, but a few stay. Nori and Ororo charge themselves with the task of shopping for them. Nori picks out CDs for everyone, believing wholeheartedly in the transformative power of music. For Rogue, Rilo Kiley's _More Adventurous_. For Jubilee, Nicki Minaj's _Pink Friday_. For the younger students she's less sure. When she was in junior high her favorite album had been the London Symphony Orchestra's recording of Stravinski's _Firebird_. Still, she tries her best. She also helps Ro pick out clothes, and they get a few video games and other treats.

She also picks up a perfect black fedora for Remy, though in her mind it's really more of a gift to herself. In fairness, she also buys herself some lingerie that's really more of a gift for Remy. This is their first Christmas together—Magneto didn't go in for human holidays—and she's not sure what else to get him. She's not really sure about Christmas as a whole, for though she went to Catholic school and knew all about the birth of Christ, she grew up in a Buddhist/Shinto household and then lived with a Jewish roommate for years.

She knows enough to get Remy to take her and Kurt to midnight mass on Christmas Eve. Kurt is reluctant, and she pleads, "Come on, Kurt, it's _Christmas Eve_. Who would try anything on Christmas Eve? At church?"

Remy, who knows better, says, "Even if anybody does try anything, we can get out of there before anyone gets hurt."

"We don't want to go without you. Don't you want to come with us?"

Kurt hesitates a moment before replying, "_Ja_, of course I do…"

"Then put on your coat! We'll be late!" Nori says.

Nori's optimism pays off, and whether it's Kurt's heavy winter wear, or Christmas spirit, or both, they make it through midnight mass without any unkind words (or worse) about mutants. They hold candles and sing, and they all have a beautiful night.

"_Danke schoen_," Kurt says on their way home. "Thank you for inviting me. That is the best Christmas present I could have gotten."

"I'm so glad you came. It was so much nicer because you were there," Nori says.

"It really was," Remy says. Though he'd been raised Catholic, it was the first time he'd gone to mass in several years. He was surprised to still remember the Creed and some of the hymns. He'd been touched by the look of rapture on Kurt's face and wondered if he'd ever looked that way in church, even as a boy. He doubted it.

Christmas at Xavier's is a pleasant enough affair, with gifts and too much food and coffee with Bailey's for the staff. The students have chipped in to get Nori a subscription to Rolling Stone and a couple Beatles-themed jigsaw puzzles, which she's thrilled with. They get Remy a huge bottle of Tabasco sauce and a few decks of cards.

Remy gets her jewelry, of course, but it's something she'll actually wear—a silver chain with a beautiful dove pendant. No diamonds.

"I wanted to get a pigeon but I couldn't find one in any store," he says, grinning at her from under his new hat.

"It's perfect," she says, fastening it around her neck. Telepathically, she tells him, _I have another gift for you, but I'm already wearing it._ She's pleased to see his eyebrows raise in response.

Nori plays some Christmas carols on piano and they all sing as best they know. Then everyone plays the new Rock Band game. It takes Nori a song to get the hang of the small plastic guitar, but she quickly attains expert level, though she grumbles that it bears very little resemblance to actual guitar playing.

The next day, Nori and Remy drive to Boston to visit Nori's family. They take her niece Aiko out to a movie. Remy's a little worried about how Nori will react in the crowded movie theatre, but she focuses on Aiko and keeps her telepathy under control. Then the family goes out to dinner. It's friendly enough, though Nori had never gotten along well with her brother-in-law Ken, and Ken is still suspicious of Remy. But mostly Nori and Aiko chat throughout the meal, and their obvious love for each other makes it hard for anyone to get too snippy.

Remy and Nori have opted to make the four-hour drive back to the school rather than stick around over night. Nori hugs Aiko goodbye and hands her a small gift bag. She's given Aiko copies of Andrew Bird's _Noble Beast_ and _Useless Creatures_, and Remy had picked out a delicate silver bracelet, with a dove like the one on her aunt's necklace. There's also a long letter Nori's been writing with painstaking care, full of stories about Aiko's mother. "I know we're not into Christmas, but we just wanted you to have these," she whispers.

Aiko's face lights up and she says, "I almost forgot!" She runs to her father's car and comes back with a brown paper grocery sack. "This is, um, it's some of mom's stuff, that, um, we wanted you to have."

Nori squeezes Aiko tightly and hugs Ken too. Standing in the freezing cold parking lot she opens it and finds a stack of letters, a few pieces of jewelry, a framed photo of the two sisters at Yuriko's wedding, and a few well-worn books. _A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again_ by David Foster Wallace, _Civil Disobedience and Other Works_ by Henry Thoreau, and _The Second Sex_ by Simone Du Beauvoir.

Her eyes tear up and she says, "Thank you. These are... thank you."

"Those are the books that were on her nightstand when she disappeared," Ken says. "She... you two always loved to talk about books."

"Yes," Nori says. "Thank you." She hugs Ken again. Ken and Remy have an awkward handshake.

Aiko stands and waves until Remy and Nori's car is out of sight.

"You all right, _cherie_?"

"Yeah," Nori sniffs. "Just, you know. Sucks."

He keeps one hand on the wheel and reaches out with the other to caress her shoulder. She cries quietly for a few minutes, then returns to normal. Remy squeezes her shoulder and puts his hand back on the wheel.

"Careful," she says, "The road's icy." Remy nods.

After thirty minutes of driving, Remy speaks up and says, "You know, I've been thinking about going to visit my brother."

She jerks her head to look at Remy. "You never told me you had a brother! I thought you were an orphan!"

"Well, an adopted brother. I have not seen him in a long time. We... well, we got along when we were kids. It was harder when I got older. I... even though I was the adopted son, my father chose me to succeed him as head of the T'ieves Guild. And Henri... well, he was a little jealous."

"Is he older or younger?"

"Younger."

She nods. "Yuri was older than me... though after we hit our twenties she didn't look it, 'cause of her healing factor. I was always a little jealous of her. But I loved her."

"What'd you have to be jealous of, _cher_?"

There's fondness in Nori's voice as she says, "Oh, she was taller than me… prettier than me... smarter than me... "

"I doubt that, _cher_."

"Shh, it's true. I mean I don't mean to say that I am ugly or stupid. I know I'm not. But compared to Yuri? Yeah. But, shh, tell me about your brother."

"How can I _shh_ and tell you about my brother?"

"Boo, you know what I mean. Shh about my sister, more talk about your brother."

"Well, not too much to say. I ain't seen him since I left the Guild. After my duel with Julien." He hesitates. "There's another reason I want to go back to New Orleans. I want to see... see about Belladonna. 'Bout making sure I'm, you know, legally single."

"Hmm," Nori says, noncommittally. "Well, I do love legally single men."

"Not too many of them, I hope."

She laughs. "Well, none of them at present, I guess. But, look, Remy, you know it doesn't matter to me—"

"-It matters to _me, cher_. I don't love her. I don't wanna be married to her. I love _you_."

"Well. All right."

He hesitates, and says softly, "I wanna marry _you_."

"That a proposal, LeBeau?"

"_Non_. Call it a statement of intent. Wouldn't be right to propose to you if I were still married to someone else, would it?"

"Guess not," she says, lightly. "Well, just remember I can't stand diamonds."

"'Course. Anyway, we still have two more weeks of Christmas vacation, and I was thinkin' about going back for a visit."

"That's a great idea! Let's leave tomorrow."

"You wanna come too?"

"Well, of course. I want to meet your family. And it's fucking freezing here."

"Could be... dangerous."

"Well, I've been working out."

Remy laughs. "Well, sure, _cher_, I'd love for you to come to New Orleans with me. If you're up to it."

"Obviously."


	25. Chapter 25

The next morning Remy meets with Xavier and gets permission to travel to New Orleans. He also gets copies of his and Nori's fake birth certificates. Just in case. Nori optimistically packs flip-flops and short skirts, but Remy reminds her that it's December in Louisiana too and she'd better bring a jacket. Grudgingly she adds a few warmer pieces of clothing to her suitcase. She also adds her new Kindle, a Christmas present from Xavier. It makes it less embarrassing for her to read children's books in public. On the two-day drive down they listen to an audio book of Dave Eggers' _Zeitoun_, a true story of refugees of Hurricane Katrina. They both cry at the book, and it makes Remy a little nervous about seeing his city for the first time since the hurricane.

They check into a room with a balcony at the Hotel Villa Convento, a beautiful old hotel in the French Quarter. It's near Louis Armstrong Park, and it's near the Superdome. It looks mostly as Remy remembers the area-it had been one of the least affected by Katrina and the resulting floods. Nori takes a deep breath and says, "This city is full of ghosts." Remy can only agree.

He wants to take her out to Bourbon Street, but he's nervous that he'll be recognized there, and it's their first night in town. Anyway, he can tell that Nori's in a bit of a mood, though he's not sure whether it's from ghosts, the strain of keeping her telepathy in check in such a populous area, or something else. So instead he runs out and brings some beer, sandwiches, and chips up to their room. They sit on their balcony and stare out at the lights. Remy breathes in the distinctive smell of his home.

The next morning he takes her to Cafe du Monde for coffee with chicory-which Nori can't stand, so Remy drinks two cups-and beignets. He blows powdered sugar on her and laughs. She wrinkles her nose and licks her lips.

"It's for luck, _cher_."

"I see. As in, it'll be lucky if I'm not diabetic by the time we leave this city?"

"Aw, a girl as sweet as you'll be just fine."

She wipes her face off and laughs. "You!" It's her standard response to any of his lines that she deems over the top.

"I what?" he teases.

"You are _adorable_." She smiles warmly and he wants to lick powdered sugar off of her. They walk around like tourists. Nori tells him that she's been to New Orleans a few times before, on tour, but she hadn't had much of a chance to explore. They visit the State Museum and both cry at the new Katrina exhibit. They stop for a late lunch at a small cafe. Shortly after their food arrives, Remy leans in for a kiss and whispers, "Can you read the mind of that guy behind us? With the blue hat? Act casual, like." She pulls back and asks him telepathically, _What's wrong?_

_Maybe nothing,_ he thinks back. _But I think he's been following us._

Aloud, she says, "Isn't that a nice painting?" and she points across the room. They both turn to look at it, and Nori surreptitiously glances at blue hat man under the guise of scoping out art. Then she lowers her gaze to her plate and focuses. She links Remy in and they both hear,

_That painting is shit. What is LeBeau doing with that girl? Definite downgrade from Belladonna._

Remy's eyes narrow and she shakes her head slightly, though her cheeks turn pink. She tries to dig deeper. There are memories of watching them in the museum earlier. Something about Belladonna. Something...

_I can't quite put it together,_ she thinks. _If I dig any harder I think he's gonna notice. I'm not Xavier, y'know?_

_You did good,_ he reassures her. _Okay. Stay calm. After we leave here we'll see how far we can get him to follow us, try to get some answers out of him._

She fusses with her hair, which she's pulled back in two low pigtails. Remy frowns. "Y'look beautiful, _cherie_."

"Oh, thanks."

"What d'you want to do this afternoon?"

"Maybe just take a walk. I don't know. Whatever you want to do." She takes a bite of pasta salad and gags, spitting it out into her napkin. "Fucking gross, there is bacon in that. I thought it was red onion." She grumpily eats her grilled cheese sandwich and Remy hopes that their little vacation turns around soon.

After lunch, they link hands and take a stroll. Remy casually leads them to Rue Bourbon, an area he knows by heart, and Nori keeps a mental eye on their pursuer. She tightens her hand around his wrist and mentally says, _I think he's onto us. He's... he's turning back. _Remy's mouth tightens, and Nori thinks, _He's gone_.

"Well, I guess it's time we pay my brother a visit," Remy says. He bends down and kisses Nori passionately. "I love you."

Gasping for air, she says, "Love you too."

"Don't forget that. No matter what anybody tells you here. I love you."

"Okay," she says softly. He gently puts his hands on her cheeks and looks into her eyes for a long moment. She smiles at him, but seems a little confused by his intensity.

"This... could get ugly," he admits. "I didn't... I didn't think Belladonna would be looking for me. Especially not so soon after we got here."

"I thought you hadn't seen her in twenty years," Nori says.

"I haven't. But she... well, guess she's got a long memory. And she is the matriarch of the Assassin's Guild."

Nori laughs, a little hysterically.

"I never wanted to drag you into all of this," Remy says.

"Well, we're here now, so what are we going to do?"

"We'll find Henri. If Belladonna knows we're here, he must, too." As they talked, they've been drifting back toward their hotel. They go up and sit on the balcony and smoke clove cigarettes. "I'm not sure... if you should come with me or not," Remy admits.

She raises her eyebrows. "Hey, I'm an X-Woman, now. I could help."

He hesitates. "I just don't want you to get tangled up in my family business."

"Why not? You're already tangled up in mine, Remy."

"Don't think anybody in your family's an assassin, _cher_."

"Yuri was," she says softly.

He sighs. "I just... I just don't want you to get hurt on account of me."

"I'm an adult, love. I chose to come here. I knew where you came from." She takes a long drag off her black cigarette. "I mean, if you don't want me to come, I'll respect that. But if you think I could help you, then don't hesitate to ask just because you're worried about me."

"Well, all right, _cher_. Guess you might could be helpful. If you're sure."

"Excellent," she purrs.

"He prob'ly won't be out until late."

"Hmm," she says, taking the last possible drag off her cig before grinding it into the ashtray. "Well, I'd better go start getting dressed. Don't want anybody else thinking you _downgraded_."

"_Cher_, you have to know that I don't think that."

"Well, I don't want anyone _else_ to think that, either," she says, tossing her head. She takes off her glasses. She showers and shaves her legs. She lotions herself and puts on a short, tight black skirt, a skimpy red top, black fishnet tights, and high black boots. She adds a wide silver belt. Then she moves on to hair and makeup. She's walking the fine line between sexy and slutty, but she figures her breasts are small enough to keep her from being considered slutty by the general public. She feels slutty, though, and she saunters back out to the balcony and sits on Remy's lap.

"Now, what's the point of you puttin' all that on when it just makes me want to take it right off of you?" he murmurs in his hypnotic voice.

"Well, how much longer do we have to wait until we go to look for your brother?" she asks, running her fingers through his hair.

He pulls her in for a kiss. "All the time in the world, _cher_." She turns around to straddle him. She concentrates and uses her TK to pull a condom over out of her purse. They never make it off the chair, and after they're finished Nori rests her head against Remy's chest and catches her breath.

"Think you messed my hair up, love," she says.

"Nah, I like it like this," he says in a low purr that makes Nori quiver a little inside.

Reluctantly she climbs off his lap and adjusts her tights. She goes inside to pee and fix her lipstick. Remy follows her inside and admires his hair in the mirror, then tops it with his black fedora.

"Shall we?" he asks, offering Nori his elbow.

"Let's go find Henri," she says. She pronounces it like "Henry" and gets a smirk and a correction from Remy. "Fine. Let's go find On-reee," she says, exaggeratedly.

Nori's boots weren't exactly made for walking, so they take a cab to a Bourbon Street bar. As far as Nori can tell, it doesn't look like anything special. Inside, it's loud and dark and smoky, and full of tables of card-players. She keeps her arm wrapped around Remy's waist, and she gently reaches out with her telepathy. There are really too many people in the bar for her to be effective, but she tries to keep a mental ear out for thoughts about her and Remy. She frowns. Based on what she's hearing, she may have miscalculated in the area of sexiness vs sluttiness. But she may just be picking up jealous thoughts from some of the women-and some of the men-who are hungrily eyeing Remy. She keeps her head held high.

Remy sits down at a high stakes table and gets dealt in. Nori wraps herself around him and feels like a prop in a mob movie. She kind of enjoys it. She'd spent most of her twenties trying to avoid looking too sexy, wanting to be taken seriously as a musician. But tonight? She wants to be taken seriously as a rival for Belladonna, head of the Assassin's Guild, her boyfriend's wife. She mentally pledges never to tell any of her former women's history professors about this.

She glances around with her telepathy. Where the hell is Remy's brother? She's beginning to suspect that this was all just a ruse to get Remy involved with a card game when she finally senses someone who is thinking about Remy, but doesn't want to fuck him. She digs a little deeper in his thoughts to confirm, and matches a face with the mind and finds a middle-aged man with a big moustache. He looks like he'd been athletic in his youth, but has since put on a few pounds. He looks nothing like Remy, but then, Remy's adopted. Nori telepathically highlights the man for Remy. He nods and thinks, _He'll come to us_. And the man sits at the table and joins the game.

"Well, well, been quite some time since we've seen your face around here," Henri says.

"Indeed," Remy replies, with a nod. Henri glances at Nori, then looks away. Nori's eyes widen briefly as she realizes Henri thinks she's a whore. She really hadn't thought this dress was that short, or maybe it's the boots... well, whatever, she can't change now. At least, she reflects with satisfaction, he thinks I'm a good-looking whore.

After they finish one hand, Henri invites Remy back to his office.

"Perhaps the lady can wait outside?" Henri suggests politely.

"_Non, mon frere_, the lady will stay with me," Remy says. Nori looks demurely at the floor. Remy and Henri have a short stare-off, and Remy wraps his arm around Nori's shoulder and sweeps her along with them. They actually pass through a secret passage of some kind, which thrills Nori.

"May we speak freely?" Henri asks.

"Of course. Henri, this is Echo. Echo, Henri." She extends a hand and Henri kisses it.

"_Enchante_," he says, and Nori sees a bit of family resemblance in personality, if not in body.

"Echo knows all about the Guild," Remy says. "She's with me." Nori feels a little glow of satisfaction at hearing that. "How... how is everything? How have you been?"

Henri shrugs. "_Ca va bien_. What brings you back to our fair city?"

"Wanted to check in on the family."

"_Papa_ died a few years ago, did you know that?"

Remy's face sags a little, and Nori squeezes his hand. "I... thought he might, but I did not know for sure."

"He left you a few things. I'll get them for you later."

"_Merci_. And you? How are you?"

"Got married some years back. Me and Mercy have a couple kids. You're an uncle."

"_Félicitations_! What are their names?" Remy asks, with genuine happiness.

"Paulette is 12 and little Jean-Luc is 10."

"That is wonderful news."

Henri smiles. "_Merci_." Then his face goes serious. "But Remy, what are you doing back here? You know the Assassin's Guild has it in for you."

"Still? It has been so long, I thought perhaps... it would be forgotten."

Henri barks out a laugh. "Forgotten? Belladonna is obsessed with you. Still calls herself Belladonna LeBeau, even though you two weren't truly married for more'n a day."

"_Merde_," Remy swears.

"It's not safe for you to be here, and not for your Echo neither."

Remy tightens his grip on Echo. "I think we're more'n a match for her."

Henri shakes his head. "Don't know, Remy. She's pretty powerful, and the Assassin's Guild has grown. If I was you, I'd leave."

Remy shakes his head. "_Non_. I am tired of Belladonna having any claim to me."

Henri glances at Echo and says something in Cajun French. She reads in his mind that he's asking Remy if he wants to marry this whore.

Remy responds indignantly that Echo is not a whore, and yes he does.

_Should I tell your brother that I can understand him? _Echo wonders to Remy.

_Nah, keep that to yourself for a spell longer. Sorry you had to hear that._

_It's cool._

The brothers converse for a while longer, and Echo examines her fingernails. She keeps her right nails long and shaped for guitar playing, while her left hand is filed down short. She's pretty sure Belladonna LeBeau has fingernails of equal length. She probably wears nail polish too. God, she hasn't even met Belladonna, why is she obsessing? Oh, right, because she's married to Remy and probably wants to kill Echo.

Henri agrees to arrange for a meeting between Remy and Belladonna. He suggests that Echo had better lie low.

Remy suggests arranging a semi-public meeting place, where perhaps Echo can hide nearby. He says he's nervous about leaving Echo alone if Belladonna is after her, and that Echo can be useful.

Henri snorts at that, and finally Echo telepathically chimes in, _Remy's right_. Henri looks startled, and Echo offers a small smile.

"Well, I knew there had to be more to you than met the eye," he says.

Remy raises his eyebrows. "I think that what meets the eye is plenty, _non_?"

"I don't usually dress like this," Echo says, crossing her arms. "Just so you know."

"All right," Henri says. "I'll send a courier and try to arrange something. In the meantime... perhaps you two should stay with Mercy and me."

Remy shakes his head. "Not if Belladonna's gunning for us, not if you've got kids there."

"Well, I guarantee she knows what hotel you're staying at."

"If she makes a move, we'll move back," Remy says, unconcerned.

Henri tightens his lips. "Then let me send a few Guild members to stand guard around your hotel."

Remy glances briefly at Echo before replying, "Guess that couldn't hurt. If you're sure."

"You are the rightful leader of the Guild, Remy."

Remy shakes his head. "_Non_, that role is for you. I would not claim it."

Henri regards him, then nods. "Very well." He extends a hand to Remy, and in Cajun French he tells his brother he's happy to see that he's alive and well. Remy smiles and tells him that he hopes to stay that way. Then he hesitantly asks his brother if he can help him file for divorce. Henri makes a pained expression, but agrees to have a lawyer draw something up.

As an afterthought, in English Henri adds, "It was nice to meet you, Echo."

She shakes his hand and says, "Likewise." It's probably the least friendly goodbye Remy has ever seen her give, and he's aware that his brother has not impressed Echo. But his brother's response to her was really more of a response to the way that Henri perceives Remy. He'll try to think of a way to tell her that later.

Henri sends a driver to take Remy and Echo back to their hotel. The usually-cuddly Echo sits up very primly in the car on the way back. As soon as they get back up to their room, she kicks off her boots and sighs with relief. Then she looks up at Remy and says, "So."

He sighs. "Sorry, _cher_."

"You know, technically you don't even need to divorce her, right? Since we have new identities now. Yours is, what, On-ree Shay-vall-yay?"

Remy snorts and nods. Echo continues, "Well, that guy's not married, is he?"

"Guess not."

"So..."

"Doesn't matter, Nori. You heard what Henri said. She's calling herself Belladonna LeBeau. I need to talk to her."

Nori washes her face and brushes her teeth. She lets her mind wander as she brushes, and she starts. _Remy, there's a guy outside our window_,_ I can feel him._

_Is he on our side or hers?_

_Oh. Let me see. Oh, ours, I guess. Weird._

_But beats the alternative._

She changes into shorts and a camisole for bed. She's tired but too anxious to sleep. She comes and sits cross-legged on the bed next to Remy. He sighs and whispers, "Truth is, _cher_, if Belladonna wanted you dead, you'd probably already be dead."

"Reassuring."

"Look, I'll meet with her... I don't know, it'll work out."

Her shield is up and Remy kisses her. "What's wrong, _cher_? I mean, 'sides the obvious?"

"I guess just the obvious. I don't know. What about that guy on the balcony? What if someone kills him? Shouldn't we watch out for him?"

"That guy knows what he signed up for."

He tugs Nori over to him and they curl up together. "This'll all work out, _cherie_, you'll see."

"You're a poet and you didn't know it."

He laughs. "_Je t'aime_, _Je t'aime, Je t'aime."_

"Doesn't count if you rhyme the same thing three times.

"Says who?"

"That's actually a very post-modern argument. I stand corrected."

They sit together quietly for a few moments, and then Nori turns on the TV. She flips around until she finds a program about Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain. Remy watches with moderate interest-he doesn't know that much about Courtney, but he knows that Nori has cited her as an idol on numerous occasions.

Half an hour in, he hesitantly asks, "_Cher_? This is the lady you like so much, isn't it?"

"I fucking _love_ Courtney."

"She seems... maybe... crazy."

"_I know_."

"Ah." He supposes this is maybe one of those things he'll never understand, like how she can possibly listen to the same song on repeat for an hour or whether there is any discernible difference between the sound quality of her two violins. Then, a few minutes later, Nori pops up in the documentary.

"Hey, _cher_, you're on TV."

She sighs. "For some reason when people interviewed me they would always ask me about Courtney. I guess because I was always pretty vocal about how much I fucking love her."

On TV, a pink-haired Nori says, "Uh, I probably owe a lot of my personality, of my career to Courtney, even though my music isn't really punk or grunge. I grew up pretty sheltered, and I really only listened to classical music. And then I got to college and spread my wings a little, and then when I was 20, I went to a party and got roofied and raped, and I just... well. As they say, I was not coping well, and then I discovered _Live Through This_, and I looked at Courtney and how tough she was. But still pretty, you know? I really needed to see someone like her. And I love that she can be so... god, I don't know, she's vulnerable but still hard. Like, in 'Doll Parts'? The way she sings 'Someday, you will ache like I ache?' God, that was like, my mantra. And I think it [bleep]ing sucks the way the media talks about her. I mean, she has some substance abuse problems, and her husband killed himself. Leave her alone. Give her some space, my God. Let her heal. And anyway, if there were a man out there saying what she says and doing what she does, he'd be a folk hero."

Back in New Orleans, Nori shrugs. "That about sums it up. I fucking love her. Though, I think, in the longer version of that I did talk a little bit about how she's maybe not the healthiest role model."

As if to emphasize that point, the program cuts to a comedian joking about Courtney attacking a journalist with Quentin Tarantino's Oscar.

"I forgot she did that. I-"

"-fucking love her?"

"Sorry to repeat myself. It's just true." She rests her cheek on Remy's chest. "Who'd you look up to when you were twenty?"

"I don't know. My _pere_, I suppose."

"I mean, there wasn't any, you know, movie star or singer or anything?"

Remy considers. "Not that I can remember. When I was twenty, I was... a little preoccupied."

"Oh. Right."

Neither of them sleeps easily that night. Nori awakens early. She doesn't remember having a nightmare, exactly, but she bolts awake feeling panicked. Her adrenaline is racing too much for her to get back to sleep, so she grabs a pack of cigarettes and a lighter and heads out to the balcony. At the last second, she feels a sense of... something... with her telepathy and she throws up a TK shield just in case. _It's not paranoia if the Assassins Guild is out to get you_, she reasons. And indeed, as soon as she steps out onto the balcony, a small dart bounces off her shield and hits the ground. Nori sleepily looks around and sees a beautiful blonde woman leaning against the balcony railing. She reminds Nori of Mystique, all confidence and grace.

"Christ," Nori says, mildly. "Can't this wait until after breakfast?"

The woman laughs. "I don't _believe_ it. _This_," indicating Nori with a wave of her hand, "is what my husband left me for?"

Nori blinks. "You're Belladonna?"

"I am Belladonna LeBeau."

"Oh." Nori considers for a moment. She's tired, but she's been practicing a lot with her TK. She can shield herself for a long time as long as she doesn't have to do any heavy lifting, mentally speaking. Belladonna is more beautiful than Nori had imagined. She looks like a model, tall and curvy. Nori's barefoot, in her pajamas, with bedhead and no makeup. She mentally shakes herself. _Snap out of it, girl. Remy loves you, not this crazy bitch._ Then she feels bad for thinking of Belladonna as a bitch. Technically, Nori is Remy's mistress-though she's certainly not the woman Remy left Belladonna for, not by a long shot. Still, perhaps she should be a little more contrite. She says, softly, "You know... I didn't know Remy was married, when we met. But I'm sorry."

Belladonna raises her eyebrows. "Then you relinquish your claim on my man?"

"Well..." Nori's not sure if she should lie or not. But then, Remy seems pretty set on divorcing her. Should she try to wake Remy? Right now she kind of wants to try handling this herself. She's sick of being rescued. She has a TK shield surrounding her in case someone comes from behind. She lifts her chin. "No, I don't. I love him. He told me that he hadn't seen you in almost twenty years."

Belladonna glares, and Nori's face softens. "I'm sorry. I know... I mean, I've had men cheat on me before. It really sucks. And I... I'm sorry about your brother. My sister was killed a few years ago, and it was really hard."

"My brother was a fool."

"Oh." Nori pushes a lock of hair behind her ear and looks up at Belladonna. "Are you sure you even... I mean, it's been so long since you've been with Remy. He must have changed in the last twenty years."

"Do you think you will stop loving Remy twenty years from now?"

Nori looks down. "No. I guess not. I'm sorry, that was arrogant of me."

"I don't know what my husband sees in you."

"You'd have to ask him, I guess."

"I will." Belladonna gives Nori a long, calculating look. "I will ask him right now," she says.

Nori shrugs and walks backward back into their hotel room. She keeps her shield up and closes one in around Remy, too. She doesn't think Belladonna wants to hurt Remy, but she can't be sure. Belladonna smiles at her sleeping husband and sits next to him on the bed. She bends down to kiss him, and when she can't touch him she lashes out at Nori.

"Let me touch my husband, you bitch!"

At the sound of Belladonna's yelling, Remy snaps awake.

"Nori!" he cries, looking for her. She gives a little wave. She's positioned herself in front of the room's inside door.

"I'm fine, Remy. But we have company." Telepathically, she adds, _She still loves you, Remy. Be kind._

_Be kind? Did she hurt you?_

_Well... no._

Remy studies her face, then turns his attention to Belladonna. "_Bonjour, Belladonna._"

They switch to Cajun French and Nori tries not to mentally eavesdrop, but she's only human. She decides to step out onto the balcony to give them some physical privacy, at least. She finally smokes the cigarette she'd been thinking about for the last hour. It's one of the best cigarettes she's ever had. She paces around the balcony and gasps when she notices a corpse on the neighboring balcony. Well-Belladonna is an assassin, and they had had a guard on their roof. She whispers a Buddhist prayer for the man's soul.

She checks in with Remy telepathically. _How's it going?_

_Not so good._

_You want me to take that shield off of you?_

_Maybe it would help._ With a thought, it's gone. She keeps hers up. She tries not to think about Remy touching the beautiful blonde woman in their room.

_Our friend on the roof is dead._

_I figured as much._

_I'll be here. Just give me a think if you need me._

_Love you._

_Love you too._

She keeps pacing the balcony. She wishes she'd brought a book. Or a jacket. Remy had been right, it was December in New Orleans and her pajamas really were not cutting it.

She can hear the sound of Remy and Belladonna's voices but can't make out anything distinct. Not that she speaks French, anyway. She lights another cigarette. She's going to wreck her voice at this rate, but it doesn't matter. She'll still be good enough to be a high school music teacher.

Finally, after Nori's gone through four more cigarettes, Remy steps out onto the balcony. At some point in the morning, he'd gotten dressed in jeans and a characteristically bright shirt. Nori peers anxiously after him, and he shakes his head and smiles. He walks forward to embrace her-but runs into her shield.

"Oops," she says. She dissolves the shield and throws herself at Remy. He laughs and rubs her shoulders. The dissolution of the shield releases a small cloud of smoke that had been lingering around her.

"I probably smell awful," she says.

"You smell perfect."

"What happened, Remy? Is... everything okay?"

"Everything's just fine, _cher_."

She lifts her eyebrows. "She killed someone to get to you. I think she tried to kill me. And she just wanted to talk to you? Are you sure?"

"She tried to kill you?"

Echo reaches out telekinetically and picks up the dart that Belladonna had thrown at her before. Remy carefully picks it out of the air and examines it.

"I think this is just a tranquilizer. But you said everything was fine!" Echo uses her TK to take the dart out of his hands and set it on the balcony's small iron table.

"It _was_ fine. I had my shield up. It bounced off." He squeezes her. She sighs and presses, "So, what did she want?"

"Wanted to talk to me. Guess she had some idea that if she could just see me, I'd come back to her. T'ings'd be the way they were supposed to be, before her brother intervened. But I... I mean, me'n Bella, we'd been friends as kids, but I didn't... didn't love her. Don't. But I guess I never realized how she felt about me. I told her 'bout you. 'Bout the school. And she cried and said she understood. Wanted me to be happy. Said we could file for divorce."

Nori's uncharacteristically quiet, and she wriggles out of Remy's arms. "Let's go inside," she says. He follows her in.

"What's wrong, _cher_?"

"I just... I didn't want to hurt anyone. I believed you when you said your wife had probably forgotten about you."

"That wasn't a lie! I did think she would have."

She gives him a tiny smile. "You're unforgettable, Remy LeBeau."

He sighs. "I am sorry that you got involved with all of this. It's been an ugly few days."

"I signed on to all of this, remember? I... well, I want to be with you, Remy, and this is part of it. Just like how part of being with me means that you have to listen to Rachael yell at you for holding the door open for her."

He laughs. "I think I am getting off easy, _non_?"

"Well, this is a one-time deal. Isn't it?"

"I hope so," he says. He looks tired.

Nori leans in and kisses the tip of his nose. "I'm going to shower. I _must_ smell like an ashtray."

"Okay, _cher_." Nori blinks. Remy almost never lets her shower without at least a token attempt at inviting himself in. He must be more upset than he's letting on. For that matter, so is she. She cries quietly in the shower, letting the hot water clean the tears off her face for her. She stands there for a long time. She's usually in and out of the shower in a few minutes (unless Remy is with her). Finally, the water starts to run lukewarm and she grudgingly climbs out and towels off. She dresses in loose black gaucho pants and a blue tank top. Then she throws on a hooded sweatshirt. Not glamorous, but she feels warm and comfortable. Remy's sitting on the bed, still looking pensive. She sits next to him and takes his hand. They sit quietly for a long time, until a knock comes at the door. They glance at each other, and Nori reaches out lightly with her telepathy.

She shrugs. _Pretty bland. I think he's here to deliver something. Doesn't seem like a threat._

He kisses her forehead and stands to open the door. A man in a suit is there, with a leather portfolio.

"Are you Remy LeBeau?"

Remy nods.

"My name is Tim Meyer. I'm an attorney. May I come in?"

"Of course."

Nori watches quietly as Remy leads the man out to the balcony. They sit outside and discuss something. She listens in and realizes these are divorce proceedings. They come back in fifteen minutes later and the man nods and thanks Remy for his time.

She looks up at Remy inquiringly.

"Well, guess a judge has to approve 'em now, but Bella's the one who filed. Shouldn't be any problem," he says.

She gives a shy smile. Remy's in a strange mood, and she's not sure what to make of it. Then he reaches in his pocket, pulls out a small black box, and goes down on one knee He sounds almost nervous as he says, "Nori... what d'you say, you want to get married?"

She grins and bends down to kiss him. "Yeah. I totally do."

He slides the ring on her finger. It's small and white gold and has an intricate design cradling a small, creamy pearl. She cries a little and says, "What a fucking day."

"And it's not even lunchtime. Why are you crying, _cherie_?" he asks, tenderly. He rises and sits next to her.

"I'm not really sure," she confesses. He reaches out and wipes her cheeks with his hand. She cries harder and buries her face in his chest. "I love you," she whispers.

He rubs her back. "Startin' to make me nervous, _cher_."

"Just feel a little guilty, I guess. Seems like... like maybe we shouldn't have just gotten engaged on the same day you officially broke it off with your estranged wife."

"Well, y'could've said no."

She scoffs. "You really think I'd be capable of turning you down, Remy?"

"Well, I did not want to wait a moment longer. Belladonna knew my intentions. And she tried to shoot you this morning. Why are you so worried about her feelings?"

"Because I'm an empath of questionable mental stability?"

He kisses her. "You are my sweetest girl." They lie down together. Not feeling quite up to sex, they gently caress each other and eventually Nori drifts into a light sleep. Remy holds her, content.


	26. Chapter 26

An hour or so later, Nori awakens. "Sorry," she murmurs. "Didn't mean to fall asleep."

He strokes her hair. "You had a pretty tiring day."

"Yeah. Hey. Should, um, should we do something about the guy on the roof?"

"Ah. I sent word to Henri earlier. Someone from the Guild will take care of it. Of him."

"If she had tranquilizers, why would she kill him?"

He sighs. "This is exactly why I did not wish to remain married to the leader of the Assassins Guild."

"Hmm. Yeah." Abruptly, Nori sits up and nudges Remy onto his stomach. She starts massaging his shoulders and back, and he sighs again, this time with pleasure. "You seem a little stressed, love. Wonder why?"

"Ain't got nothing to worry about now," he says contentedly. "I'm in my favorite city with my favorite girl." She hums a little as she works out the knots in his back. Finally, she gets them all out and simply strokes him like a cat.

"Hey, _cher_, are you hungry?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go get something to eat."

"Okay." She hesitates. "Do you know any restaurants here where I won't accidentally eat bacon?"

"I'll ask the concierge."

They touch up their clothes and hair as needed and, armed with the address of a vegetarian-friendly Asian fusion restaurant in the French Quarter, they set out on foot. It's mid-afternoon and when they pass Washington Square Park, Nori is drawn to the sound of music. "Let's stop a minute," she says, and Remy follows her to the source. A young Asian-American man is playing violin, and a handful of people are listening. Nori whispers, "It's Bach. From the 4th Brandenburg Concerto. He's not bad." They listen until he finishes with a flourish. She fishes in her purse and goes up to set a few dollars in the man's open case. Standing up, she brushes against a tall, gangly white man with floppy brown hair. "Sorry," she says, then does a double take.

"Nori?" the man says.

"_Andrew?_"

"What are you doing here?" they ask, simultaneously. They smile at each other awkwardly. She takes his hand and leads him back to Remy, at the back of the crowd.

"Remy," she says excitedly, "This is my friend Andrew! Andrew this is... this is my fiancé, Remy." It's the first time she'd had a chance to say that aloud and she grins. "We were just going to get some lunch. Or dinner. Come with us!"

Andrew looks at his watch. "Yeah. Yeah, okay, oh my God. I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

"Yeah," she says softly. "So. What brings you to New Orleans?"

"I have a show tonight, actually. House of Blues."

"Big time! Nice."

"Yeah. Yeah. It's at 9. You guys should come. If you want."

"Yeah! I mean, if you want," she says, glancing at Remy.

He shrugs. "Well, I picked last night's excursion, so it is only fair if you choose tonight."

She laughs. "Good answer, love."

It's only a few more blocks to the restaurant, which is relatively empty. Remy and Nori both get wine, but Andrew sticks with water. He's soft-spoken. Remy's not sure if he's nervous or if he's perpetually a little awkward. He's what Remy assumes college professors are like-shy and smart and not sure how to talk about personal matters.

"So. Okay. Nori. I fucking _missed_ you. Where... I mean... I saw you on the news, sometimes..." he trails off.

"God. It's like the longest story. Probably everything you heard on the news is true-ish. I was with, um, you know," she lowers her voice, "The Brotherhood. And then I was held by the Army. And then for awhile I was kind of... hanging out. And now, well, now I teach music at a private high school."

"Are you kidding?"

"Nope." The waitress comes back with some seaweed salad and spring rolls and they stop talking until she leaves. Remy is extremely apprehensive about the seaweed, but tries it. He grimaces and Nori happily eats his share.

She sighs. "Look, Andrew, it wasn't like... I didn't miss you, and everyone else. But it was just... I thought it would be safer, for everyone, if I didn't... if you didn't know where I was."

"You know I wouldn't have told anyone."

"Not just that, I mean... things have changed a little recently, but the government's been watching me, you know? I've been on the run. I couldn't just call people up for a chat. You know? But I thought about you. I listened to your music all the time."

"'S'true," Remy interjects.

Andrew looks down. "I couldn't listen to yours, not for a long time. It hurt."

Nori twists her lips sadly, and Andrew looks up abruptly. "Sorry. I know... that was selfish. I know what you went through was worse. I just..."

Nori reaches across the table and puts a hand on his. "I'm sure it was hard for you too. But, look, let's not talk about that right now. What have you been up to? Tell me. What's the gossip?"

So he fills her in on a few years of indie rock gossip. He tells her about the violin he's thinking about buying.

"Oh my God, Andrew, I have to tell you. Like, six months ago, I got taken hostage-oh, but, I mean, I'm fine, it was fine, just, like, way weird, anyway, and then he let me go and he gave me his Strad."

"What the fuck?"

"I _know_. I've been playing it some but it kind of terrifies me."

Both Andrew and Remy laugh. "_Cher_, I think you are more afraid of anything happening to that violin than you were of anything that might happen to you when you were his hostage."

"Probably true," she agrees. Their main courses arrive and Nori happily digs in, occasionally speaking up over a mouthful of noodles.

Andrew hesitantly asks, "So, you're engaged?"

Nori and Remy both smile and nod.

"Well, congratulations! Where did you meet?"

"Uh, I think you can guess," Nori says, with a small grimace.

"Right. So, um... I mean..." he looks helpless. There were a few flashy news clips of Gambit in action on a few Brotherhood missions that had been very popular a few years ago. He had been one of the FBI's Top Ten Most Dangerous until he had agreed to stay at Xavier's school, when his name mysteriously dropped much further down the list.

"You could say I'm reformed," Remy says, with a small grin.

"Or misunderstood," Nori adds. "You don't have to worry about him. Or me."

"All right. So. Teaching school? Really?"

"Yeah. I like it. And, I mean, I think my career as a performer is shot."

He shakes his head. "Why don't you play with me tonight?"

"Oh, I would love to, but I really can't. Too many people want me dead."

He sighs. "Used to be the worst thing that could happen would be people walking out after your first set."

"Or saying bitchy things about you on Pitchfork."

"Does anybody say anything on Pitchfork that _isn't_ bitchy?"

"Don't even act like you can relate. They love you at Pitchfork."

"Ah... what is Pitchfork?" Remy asks.

"It's this super pretentious music website. But I used to be kind of addicted to it," Nori says.

Andrew smiles at Remy. "I take it you're not a musician, then?"

"_Non_. I... play cards."

"Nice work if you can get it," Andrew says, still smiling.

"Yes," Remy says, a bit wistfully. "But now I work at school with Nori. I teach self defense. And gym class."

"Oh. Cool," Andrew says. "D'you like it?"

"I do," Remy says, and he's surprised to realize how much he means it. "They're good kids."

Andrew's eyes flick between Nori and Remy and he nervously drums his fingers on the table. "Hey. Nor. I was thinking. Just because you can't come on stage with me tonight, what if you came back and recorded some vocals with me? I could loop them in. No one would have to know it was you."

"Yeah! That would be so fun!" Nori says. "Shit, but, I smoked like a pack of cloves today. I'm gonna have to do my Lucinda Williams impression or something."

"We can work with that." They pay for their meal and trail Andrew back to his hotel room and then to his dressing room at the House of Blues. He gets someone to grab backstage passes for Remy and Nori, and they put them on. Remy sits quietly as Andrew and Nori goof around with different instruments and songs. They're both clearly delighted to be playing together, and Remy's happy to watch. He doesn't really like the songs they're playing, though he is impressed to see them put it all together, playing recorded loops back and layering over them. They wait in the dressing room while Andrew nervously paces out to make sure everything is in place. He flits back in and hugs Nori and shakes Remy's hand, then goes back out to perform. They cuddle on the couch and listen to the set over monitors.

"He's so good," Nori sighs.

"I like your music better, _cher_," Remy says, loyally.

"Good. I'll keep you around, then." Between the music and Remy's fingers in her hair, Nori feels that her happiness is complete. It's a wonderful end to a day that started so badly. She kisses Remy and mingles it with her empathy.

"Mm," Remy says. Nori's happiness is like a drug, and they're both feeling pretty blissed out.

"Hey, that's me," Nori says, listening. She's thrilled. Remy thinks to himself that if any of the Guild problems somehow interfere with this night, he will single-handedly destroy the Assassins Guild. But they're blessed with a peaceful evening. Andrew comes back after an encore, sweaty and pleased.

"You were amazing," Nori tells him. "Honestly, I can't believe how much you've grown in the last few years."

"Thanks, Nor."

They chat a bit about the evening's performance and Remy spaces out. But finally, they stand to leave.

"Andrew, I'm so glad we ran into you," Nori says. "Let me..." she looks around for paper and Andrew hands her a brochure for a Ghost Tour of New Orleans. She laughs as she scrawls her phone number on it. "Remy, I told you there were ghosts here! Anyway, call me if you're in New York. Or if you just want to talk. I miss you." She hugs him.

"Yeah, I... just, thank God you're all right, Nor. I'll call you soon. Remy, it was nice to meet you."

"The pleasure was mine," Remy says.

Andrew hesitates. "I know this is a cliche, but... take care of her, okay?"

Remy smiles. "I promise you I will."

"Be well," Nori calls behind her, as she and Remy trail into the night. Remy's a little nervous that Nori's about to have a mood swing. Reminders of her past often make her feel melancholy. But at present, she seems happy.

"What a coincidence," she says. "I can't believe we ran into him!"

Remy can't either and he's a little suspicious, but Nori had been so happy to see her friend that he didn't want to question it. Now, though, he asks, "You are sure it was him?"

She snorts. "What, you think Mystique can play like that?"

It's a fair point, and Remy nods. "Guess not."

She wraps her arm around Remy's waist. "Hey. I never said… sorry to hear about your dad."

He sighs. "_Merci, cher_."

"D'you want to talk about him?"

"I think," he says, deliberately, "that I would like to get drunk."

"I've heard worse ideas."

So they make their way to a relatively quiet bar, nothing like the madness of the place they'd visited the previous night. Nori sips white wine and watches Remy drink whiskey like it was water. She listens as the whiskey loosens his tongue and he begins to pour out stories about his childhood. She says little, but she carefully uses her empathy to make sure Remy knows she's listening and she loves him. Her eyes shine with tears as she listens to Remy's childhood stories. He tells them lightly, as if they were adventures, but he's clearly describing some horrific events. Then, abruptly, his tone turns angry and he indicts his father for forcing him to marry Belladonna. Remy cries then for his father, for himself, and, Nori thinks, for speaking ill of his father.

She carefully hops down from her bar stool and stands behind Remy, rubbing his shoulders. "Hey, love, let's go outside."

"Y'can still smoke in bars, here."

"I know. Let's go get some fresh air."

She pays their tab just in case they don't make it back inside. The bartender gives her a sympathetic look and asks, "You gonna be all right with him, _cher_?"

She blinks at hearing Remy's endearment on another man's lips, but then she remembers where they are. "We'll be okay, thanks. He's just… just been a rough week."

The bartender nods sagely. "The holidays'll take it out of you, huh?"

"Yeah. Something like that." She wraps her arm around Remy's waist and guides him outside, gently using her TK to help support him. Outside, he spins around and presses Nori against himself, weeping.

"It's okay, baby. Cry all you need." Nori never tells anyone not to cry. If people feel like crying, they should do it, as far as she's concerned. She rubs his back and listens, though between his shuddering sobs and his drunken slurring, he's not really coherent. She gets the gist.

Finally, she says, "Let's go back to our hotel, okay?" He's not in any condition to protest seriously, so she guides him down to a taxi. She tips the driver well and wishes their hotel had an elevator. But it doesn't, so she and Remy navigate the stairs one at a time. "Come on," she coaxes, "Almost there." He's stopped crying, but he's still drunk. But they make it to the top of the stairs, and she's grateful that they're only on the second floor.

Tenderly, she starts undressing Remy for bed. He grins. "Just couldn't wait to get me naked, _cher_?"

She smiles up at him, wondering how he can be so charming even when completely wasted, and he reaches out for her. He gives her a sloppy, drunk kiss. She surrenders to his touch, letting his hands and mouth wander over her. Abruptly, she realizes that he's passed out with his face on her abdomen. Just thinking about the hangover he'll have tomorrow gives her a headache. She strokes his hair for a while and falls asleep herself.

In the morning she rises before Remy, of course. She telekinetically brings her iPod over to her and listens to podcasts for a while, watching Remy breathe. She's hungry and a little hungover herself, and she finally decides to get dressed and go get some food to bring back. Remy'll appreciate it when he wakes up, whenever that is. She scrawls a note for Remy on the negligible chance that he wakes up before she gets back, and heads out. She concentrates and puts a shield around herself, just in case. She's still not 100% convinced that they've seen the last of Belladonna. There's a bakery on the corner and she picks out a huge assortment of things. She also gets a few bottles of juice, a chicory coffee for Remy, though she's sure it will be cold by the time he gets up, and a black tea for herself. She smiles politely at the cashier and sighs with relief when she makes it back to the hotel room without incident. It is, she realizes, the first time she's gone out in public alone in over a year. She'd occasionally been alone on Brotherhood excursions, but since she'd come to Xavier's someone—usually Remy—had always accompanied her outside the house. She smiles to herself at her small victory. Then she settles herself on the balcony and drinks tea. She takes a croissant out of the bakery back and shreds it into tiny pieces, then eats them. All in all, a pleasant morning.

She puts her headphones in and stares out at the city, accompanied by Paul Simon. Hours later she decides to go in and check on Remy. He's still sleeping. But she checks and he's still breathing, so she leaves him be. She methodically eats another pastry. Finally, Remy stumbles out to the balcony, clutching the note she'd left hours ago.

"_Cher_," he says. He sounds bleary, but relieved.

"Morning, love," she says, though it's the afternoon.

"What in the name of God is this all about?" he asks, passing her the note. She glances at it. She'd apparently written it in Japanese. It's a mistake she still occasionally makes, especially first thing in the morning.

"Oh, oops," she says. "Meant to write that in English. Just told you I went out for some breakfast. But that was like forever ago. Here, want some?"

"_Non_."

"Coffee? It's cold now, though. Is there a microwave in the room?" There isn't, but Remy drinks it anyway. Nori rubs his shoulders and brings him his sunglasses, some Tylenol, and a carton of orange juice from the minifridge. He sighs gratefully.

"Don' know what I'd do wit'out you, _cher_."

"Oh, I imagine you'd survive a hangover just fine."

"Hangover? _Non_, I am dying."

She laughs gently. After Remy drinks the juice, she takes his hand and guides him back inside. They lie together quietly, until Remy abruptly gets up to puke. Nori trails behind and wipes his face with a damp washcloth. He cries a little.

"What's wrong, love?" she asks.

"Sorry," he says.

"Don't apologize. I'm here for you."

"I…" he leans forward and retches again. Nori strokes his hair. She's never seen him this bad before. She probably should have cut him off a few drinks earlier than she had, but there was no point dwelling on that now. She helps him back to bed and brings him water.

"You're all right, Remy. I'm here."

Finally, he murmurs bitterly, "Some vacation."

"Love, you know I'm happy to be just about anywhere with you."

"You should be wit' someone else. Not some drunk who's going to get you killed."

"What, Remy, you want your ring back?' she asks lightly. Inside, she's a little uneasy.

He takes her left hand and looks at it for a long time. "_Non_," he says, finally. "I don't. I just want…I just want…"

She lets him wait for a long time before gently prompting, "What do you want, Remy LeBeau?"

"I want you to be happy," he whispers.

"Remy, after this hangover wears off, you'll remember that _you_ make me happy. I love you. I want to marry you. You're not going to get rid of me with this little self-doubt fest."

He sighs and snuggles against her. "That's right. Sleep it off, you idiot," she says fondly. He falls into a restless sleep, and Nori wakes him when he starts whimpering. "Remy. You're having a nightmare. _Remy_." He finally awakens and he clings to her.

"Don't leave," he pleads.

"Shhh, no, of course not." She pets him and sings to him softly until he relaxes.

"Oh, _cher_," he says, finally. "_Je t'aime._"

"I know," she says, kissing his cheek. "You hungry? You really should eat something if you can keep it down."

He nods and she uses her TK to call over the pastries she'd bought that morning. She digs around and finds a plain roll, slightly covered in powdered sugar from other treats in the bag. "Maybe this to start," she says. She hands it to him and he licks the sugar off with a grin.

He eats another pastry, and they shower and dress. Remy appears to have returned to normal, more or less.

"Let's get real food," Nori says. They go out for pizza and happily devour the greasy cheese. "Pizza is the best hangover food," she says with contentment. "And the best sober food. It's just the best food."

Afterward they walk the streets for a little bit. The bars are all crowded and Nori abruptly realizes that the next day is New Year's Eve. "Happy New Year's Eve eve, love," she says.

He stops and bends down for a kiss. She gasps as he grabs her ass and pulls her tightly against him. He breaks away from her mouth and gently nibbles the edge of her earlobe, and she whimpers softly.

"Remy, people are staring," she manages to whisper. "Uh—not fair. You don't, don't play fair…" she spits out as one of his hands slips under her shirt. She's already pressed so tightly against Remy that she doubts anyone can see where his hand is. She pulls away and he wraps his arm around her shoulders. "Let's get back to the hotel. Now," she says, looking up at him with dilated pupils. She slips her hand in his front pocket and gently strokes his cock. He's hard, but he doesn't otherwise react, and she narrows her eyes. She doesn't mind a challenge. She pulls her hand out and tries a light telekinetic touch instead, and is rewarded with a small gasp and an almost imperceptible shudder.

"You in a rush to get back or something?" Remy asks, innocently. As if he doesn't know exactly where all her buttons are, as if he doesn't know that's already hit several of them. She uses her telepathy to send him an image of her lying naked on the bed, pleading, writhing. His pace quickens, and when they make it up to their hotel room, the master thief actually fumbles with the key. She's not touching him, but she's updated the image in his mind. He pauses and shoves her against the door. She jumps up and wraps her legs around his waist. She kisses him urgently and uses her TK to open the door, They stumble into the room and Remy throws her on the bed. He flips her skirt up and pulls down her panties, which are soaked. He gives her a satisfied smile and she moans.

"Come here and fuck me, you smug bastard," she hisses.

"Don't know what your hurry is, _cher_," he says, slipping a finger inside her. She arches up against him. He adds another finger and traces gentle circles. She makes a frustrated sound and sends him another image. He sees her on her hands and knees. He's behind her, inside her, with his hands on her tits and his mouth on her throat. Remy's not made of steel, and he pulls his fingers out of her. She crawls to him and licks his fingers, hungrily. Remy sucks in a breath and wriggles out of his clothing. Nori flings a condom at him and he pulls it on, glad she'd managed to remember. He slides into her with one thrust; she's ready. They both moan. He runs his hands over her breasts and tweaks her nipples. He licks at her shoulder, sucks her ear. Abruptly, Nori pulls out her last trick, the one she'd been saving, and she plugs Remy into her empathy just as she starts to come. It pushes him over the edge, and they shudder and writhe together. Nori collapses forward, and they lie together panting for a few moments before he rolls over and pulls off the condom.

He comes back and holds her against his sweaty chest. She seems dazed. He smiles as he bends down for a kiss.

"Christ, Remy," she murmurs.

"Plenty more where that came from, _cher_."

"Mm-mm," Nori says. "Need a little rest."

"Didn't mean now. Any time."

"Yes. Maybe next year," she teases.

He kisses her cheek. "Well, don't know I can wait _that_ long."

She giggles. "Maybe not. "

Remy feels content. He doesn't remember exactly all the things he'd said the night before, but he has a clear memory of how low he had been feeling that afternoon, hungover and afraid that Nori would be disappointed in him. He was good at charming women, and pretty good at cheering Nori up, but he knew he wasn't very good at expressing himself when it came to serious matters. Not with words, anyway, so he's happy to hold his sleepy, sated fiancée and feel like he deserves her.

"Of course you deserve me, love," Nori murmurs.

"You in my head, _cher_?"

"You're thinking soo loud, Remy, I can't help it." She nestles against him a little tighter. "I love you, you know. I'm glad you're back in your right mind."

Xavier has speculated that the combination of Remy and Nori's established strong emotional link, Remy's trust of Nori, and Nori's empathy and sensitivity had overridden Remy's natural shields. Whatever the exact reason, she rarely has trouble reading his mind, though she does try her best to respect his mental privacy. The mental barrier between them is usually thinnest after sex, which makes sense to Remy on a lot of levels. He just hopes he never thinks anything bad about her in bed.

"Me too," she says, then laughs. "Don't worry, love. I'd forgive you."

He strokes her hair. "Glad t'hear it, _cherie_." They drift into a tranquil sleep.

NOTE: YES, I wrote Andrew Bird into this story. I thought about creating a thinly veiled fictionalized version of him, but, whatever, Andrew Bird is in this story. Because he would _totally_ be violinist BFFs with Nori, okay. I've never met the guy but this is pretty much how I assume he acts in real life based on the way he acts on stage. So, whatever.

Andrew Bird, if for some reason you are reading this fanfiction I hope you are not too weirded out. I only did it because I think you are so awesome.

If you don't know the real Andrew Bird you can check out AndrewBird dot net and listen to some tunes. He is GREAT.


	27. Chapter 27

The next morning Remy wakes up feeling refreshed. He watches Nori sleep for a few moments. It's something he rarely gets a chance to do, since she usually wakes up before he does, even if she hasn't had a nightmare. He's overwhelmed by a protective feeling for her. She sleeps curled on her side, hands drawn up to her face. It's a position familiar to Remy, the position adopted by those who are accustomed to being disturbed in their sleep. He wonders if she slept that way before Stryker had taken her.

He notes light glinting off her engagement ring, and he smiles to himself. He loves seeing his ring on her finger, marking her as his. It's so different from the way he'd felt about Belladonna. He'd liked Bella, and God knew she was sexy as hell, but he'd never felt this way about her, about getting married to her. It was just something he had to do, for his father, for the Guild. But he wants to marry Nori for himself. For her, to show her that he'll be around for her. He thinks about having a ring on his finger and feels no hesitations about it. He loves her. Like she'd once said about him, his eyes might wander but he always went home with her.

Unable to wait any longer, he leans over and kisses her cheek. Her eyelashes flutter open and she smiles up at him. "Morning, love."

"_Bonjour_," he murmurs. "How'd you sleep?"

"Soo good," she says, giving a content stretch. He watches her with a smile and she grins. "You're in a good mood."

"Like I said before, _cher_, I'm in my favorite city with my favorite girl." Lazily, she runs her fingers through his hair.

"I'm going to go shower," she says.

"All alone? Are you sure, _cher_?" he asks. Bathing with someone—with Nori—is a deeply primal pleasure for Remy. Obviously, he loves to see her naked, but the combination of hot water and steam and slippery soap were simply heaven for the tactile Cajun.

Nori grins and says, "Oh, I guess I wouldn't mind a little company."

Later, they start the day clean and happy. It's nearly lunchtime, and they go out to a charming little café. Remy orders fresh perch and it arrives whole. Nori stares at it for a moment, then carefully covers its head with lettuce.

"Sorry, _cher_, didn't mean to bother you."

"No, love, eat what you want. I just… just don't want it to look at me," she says, a little sheepishly.

Briefly, he thinks about giving up meat. Well, after they get back from New Orleans, perhaps. The fresh seafood here was simply unbelievable.

"So, _cher_, what'd'you want to do tonight?"

"Hmm… I want to kiss my fiancé at midnight," she says. "And maybe before midnight."

"Well, all right," he says, with faux hesitation. "If that's what you really want."

"What do you want to do? Really. We're in your city, love."

"Plenty o'options. There'll be fireworks, 'course. Biggest party'll be in Jackson Square. Probably full of tourists. Lots of places'll have live music."

She perks up at that. "Oh, you pick. You know what I like."

"I'll have to think on that, then."

They swap stories about New Year's Eve parties. Remy, predictably, has the wildest stories. She had mainly given concerts. His imagination is captured by her story of playing a New Year's Eve concert with a few jam bands and getting "ridiculously stoned" as the night went on.

"And, Remy, I mean, you know how I get, like, I'm such a lightweight. It was mainly a contact high. How am I supposed to keep up with those guys? But it was so embarrassing. I was just giggling and giggling. And they had so many hardcore fans who were soo pissed." She blushes as she tells the story.

"Aw, I'm sure you were great."

She shakes her head. "Hugs, not drugs, that's my motto."

"_Oui_?" He raises his eyebrows skeptically.

"Fuck, you're right, that's not my motto at all."

Remy grins and starts mentally planning their evening. In the afternoon, they just walk the streets and people-watch. Remy resists the urge to pick any pockets, but he likes knowing that he could. He makes a quick detour to a little Rue Bourbon establishment and gets some pot. He and Nori haven't had any since they got to Xavier's and he thinks it might make for a perfect, mellow New Year's.

After dinner, they retreat to their hotel room and Remy rolls a joint. She raises an eyebrow and says, "Well, I guess the odds of me embarrassing myself onstage tonight are slim," and she takes a toke.

Remy feels a deep sense of relaxation, and Nori quickly gets extremely giggly.

"Hey. Hey. Listen. Do you think our celebrity couple name would be Nemy or Rori?" she asks, laughing and hiding her mouth behind her hand.

He eyes her with amusement. She giggles and reaches into his mind, sending a random array of images. Remy has an abrupt moment of clarity and realizes that Nori hadn't been a telepath the last time they'd gotten stoned together, and that maybe this wasn't the best idea. They smoke the joint down to the tiniest possible roach. Nori gives him a tragic look, but something tells him to save the rest of the pot for later.

"S'gone, _cher_."

She sighs, dramatically.

"Well… let's go out! It's New Year's! Parties!"

"_Oui, oui_. Let's go out," Remy says, laconically. She steps out into the hall barefoot and Remy says, "_Cher_, you should have shoes, right?"

"Oh! I can't believe I forgot!" she says, giggling. "That's so funny!" She comes back in flip-flops, still chattering about forgetting her shoes, and Remy shrugs. He takes her hand and they walk out into the street. She keeps sending him a distracting blend of mental images. He takes her into a crowded club with live jazz. She's delighted, and Remy feels like he's wired directly into her brain. They're both stoned and listening to jazz but he's hearing it through her ears.

"Beautiful," he murmurs, holding her tightly in front of him. Her thoughts are coming quickly. Everything is entertaining to her. The music is so much more complex than what he would have thought. Does she hear everything like this? Abruptly, he notices some confused looks from people nearby. "_Cher_," he whispers. "Are you… you have any shields up?"

She laughs. "What, like in _Star Wars_ or something?"

He laughs too, seeing her mental projections. He forgets why he was so worried. Anyway, it's New Year's Eve. Everyone should have a good time. He and Nori are having a wonderful time. He gets champagne for them and they drink and dance and kiss. They shout the countdown with everyone else in the club. "Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Happy New Year!" He bends down to kiss her, and then gets overwhelmed by terror. Everyone around them stares.

A young couple approaches them. "You two okay?"

"_Oui_, _merci_," Remy says, recovering. "She… too much to drink, I think."

They look skeptical. Nori's crying and shaking and completely beyond words, but at least Remy's pretty sure she's only projecting to him. Everyone else would be much more upset if she were projecting further. "I will take her home, I think," Remy says, giving his most charming smile in hopes of inspiring trust from the crowd. "Thank you. Happy New Year."

He wraps an arm around Nori and tugs her outside. She shrieks when they get out into the street. He's finding it difficult to think, between all the people and the fireworks and Nori's telepathic projections—oh, he realizes. It was the fireworks.

"_Merde_," he mutters. He pulls some energy around his mind, trying to keep her telepathy out so he can focus. He can't see anything to do but stay close to her and get her back into their hotel room as soon as possible, and maybe call Xavier if she doesn't calm down soon. He's grateful that they hadn't gone too far afield, but it's still eight blocks back to their hotel. Eight blocks that are packed with revelers trying to admire the fireworks. At least they're mostly too drunk or otherwise altered to take any real notice of Nori. She's stopped shrieking, but she's making a sound somewhere between a wail and a moan. He rubs her back and murmurs to her in French and pushes her through the street.

In retrospect, Remy decides, it was not a great idea to give a mind-altering substance to a traumatized telepath on one of the loudest nights of the year. It's just that most of the time she seems so normal, so healthy. It's hard to remember how quickly she can revert to this state.

But they make it back up to their room and he coaxes her into the bed. He closes the curtains. He thinks. He brings over her iPod and gently tucks the headphones into her ears, hoping to block out the sound of the fireworks. He holds her cautiously. She's still upset but she's calming down. He opens his mind to her and sees that she's still projecting fearful thoughts, but they're slower, less intense. He brings over some water and she drinks it. The fireworks have mostly stopped, though occasionally they hear bursts of firecrackers set off by partiers.

"Shh, _cher_, you're safe. Just fireworks. Nothing to worry about."

She trembles in his arms. Finally, she sighs and says, "Think maybe I'm getting too old for pot, Remy. Doesn't seem like it agrees with me anymore."

He laughs with relief. "'S'all right, _cher_, we got other ways of having fun."

"Sorry, Remy."

"What for?"

"For… I wanted us to have fun on New Year's. Didn't want… drama."

"Shh, not your fault. I should have… I should have realized that maybe this wasn't the best idea."

She sighs. "Like I tried to tell you… hugs, not drugs." He laughs and squeezes her.

"I think that Xavier would approve of that, _non_?"

"Xavier… God, Remy, I didn't, you know, hurt anyone, did I?"

He hesitates. "I don't t'ink so, _cher_. Some people at the club saw that you was upset but I t'ink I was the only one you were projecting to."

"Oh! Well… good, but, I'm sorry, Remy."

"Don' be sorry. All worked out, _non_? And I'm the one who got the pot."

"You didn't force me to smoke it, Remy. I should have—I don't know why I didn't think that it would be different, now."

"We both just wanted a good time. That's no crime, _cher_."

"Well… lesson learned, I guess." She turns and kisses him. "Thanks for looking out for me, Remy."

"'Course, _cher_. What, you t'ink I would just leave you? Come home with some other _femme_?" He shakes his head. "You're the only one I want to start the new year with. Even if you're…"

"Tripping balls?" she suggests, and he laughs.

"Even then."

"Love you," she murmurs drowsily.

"Love you too."

She curls up and falls asleep. In the morning she wakes up first and hesitantly sorts through her memories of the previous night. It definitely was not her finest hour. But Remy had taken care of her. She feels warmth in her belly. Remy would take care of her, probably no matter how loopy she got. She rolls over and regards her sleeping lover. He looks younger in sleep, peaceful. She burrows under the sheet and decides to wake Remy up with her tongue. He's already hard, and she's pleased with the startled gasp and appreciative moan she draws from him.

"So good, _cher_," he murmurs. Teasingly, she pulls away and smiles up at him as she uses her small, callused fingers to trace circles on his abdomen, just above his jutting hipbones. He makes a frustrated whimper and she relents, returning to his cock. He traces his fingers through her hair.

"_Cher_, oh, I'm gonna—"

She starts humming, his cock still in her mouth. Remy bucks under her and comes, gasping. Nori climbs up and lays her head on his chest.

"That was somethin', _cher_," Remy murmurs.

She licks her lips daintily and says, "I thought you might like that." She kisses his throat and rises to brush her teeth. They shower together until the hot water starts to run out.

"I wonder how many more gallons of water I use a day now that we're together?" Nori muses.

Remy laughs. "I t'ink the world has bigger problems right now than how long you spend in the shower."

"Maybe so."

They dress, and Remy says, a bit hesitantly, "I thought maybe we'd go see Henri and Mercy for New Year's Day?"

"Of course," Nori says, enthusiastically. "You should see your brother. And meet your niece and nephew!"

"Y'don't mind—I mean, I know you and Henri didn't exactly hit it off."

She shrugs. "He's your brother." She dresses modestly in gray jeans, a light pink tank top, and a thin white muslin scarf artfully arranged around her neck. The scarf is necessary to hide a few mouth-shaped bruises Remy's left behind, but it looks elegant. She glances at Remy, looking for approval. "Is this good? Should I wear something nicer?"

"Perfect, _cher_." He's in his usual uniform of dark jeans and a bright shirt. Today it's a vivid indigo. He contemplates calling his brother, but decides it'd be easier to just show up. His adoptive family home is in the Garden District, and he's happy to see that it's been little-touched by Katrina and other disasters, though a few of the big old trees that had been out front are missing. Nori's eyes widen at the white Italianate house.

"Holy shit, Remy, did Scarlett O'Hara live here?"

He laughs. "Nah, this ain't a plantation house. Just, y'know, had to keep up appearances."

"Guess so," she breathes. "They don't have like a gate or anything?"

"Only a fool would rob this house." He takes her hand as they walk up to the front door. Before he can touch the ornate iron knocker, Henri opens the door.

"_Mon frere_, I was wonderin' if we'd see your face again. Happy New Year. Come in, come in." He takes Nori's hand and kisses it. "Glad t'see this brother of mine kept you safe from the Assassins, _cherie_."

She smiles and thanks him. A petite red-headed woman sweeps into the room and Henri proudly introduces his wife to Remy and Nori, who he calls Echo.

Nori smiles and says, "It's so nice to meet you, Mercy. Please call me Nori."

Mercy raises her eyebrows. "Of course, Nori." She turns to Remy and teases, "What's this? A LeBeau taking up with a Yankee?"

"'Fraid so," Remy admits.

"I'm from Boston," Nori says.

"Boston! Lord," Mercy says. "Is this your first trip to our fair city?"

"No, I've been here a few times, but I could never stay too long."

"You Northerners are always in such a hurry," Mercy says, with a head shake.

Nori smiles. "I'm a musician. I used to tour the country and I'd have to be in a different city almost every night."

"Oh, how interesting. You'll have to play for us some time."

"I'd love to."

Remy and Nori both relax a little. This is going much more smoothly than Remy's last conversation with his brother.

"You'll stay for lunch, of course," Mercy says, leading her guests into the living room. "It'll be ready in just a flash. Can I get you anything to drink? Sweet tea? Water? Coke?"

"Wouldn't say no to some tea," Remy says.

"Ah, I'd love a glass of water, please," Nori says.

"Of course, of course," Mercy says, scurrying back to the kitchen. "Henri, go get drinks for your brother and his girl. I'm busy."

Henri rolls his eyes and murmurs something in French, but he comes back to the living room with two glasses.

"Seems like your wife keeps you in line," Remy says with a smile.

Henri shakes his head dismissively, but he too is smiling. "So. You're both here, so y'must not've made Bella too mad."

Nori looks down, and Remy sucks his teeth. "She's none too happy, but she agreed that… we'd divorce. Dropped off the paperwork an' all."

Henri nods. "Well…well."

Remy switches to French and apologizes for causing any trouble for the Guild. Henri shrugs and says philosophically that he imagines things will be manageable. They chat a little about the Guild and Nori's mind wanders.

Abruptly, in English, Remy says, "Hey, Henri… I asked this _belle femme_ to be my wife and she said yes." Nori blushes and smiles.

"_Félicitations_," Henri says, trying to look pleased.

"_Merci_," Remy says.

"_Cher_, you sure you know what you're getting into with this t'ief?" Henri says.

Nori smiles broadly. "Yeah, I think I do."

"Y'might say I stole her heart," Remy says, slyly. Nori throws her head back and laughs, and Henri looks a little friendlier.

"Well, if you can put up with lines like that, I guess you might could do worse than Remy," Henri concedes.

"How did you and Mercy meet?" Nori asks.

"Oh, around," Henri says.

"How long you been together?" Remy asks.

"Goin' on 13 years, now," Henri says proudly.

"That's wonderful," Nori says.

Mercy enters the room with a snort. "Wonderful for him, maybe. Come, lunch is ready." She leads them into a beautifully furnished dining room. Mercy and Henri's kids are already seated, but they stand up to be introduced to their uncle and (unofficial) aunt. Paulette is tall for her age and she sizes up their visitors with a calculating look. Jean-Luc is younger and a little shier. Nori sits next to Jean-Luc and quietly sets about pulling him out of his shell.

Mercy brings out beautiful dishes of black-eyed peas, greens, rice, ham, and cornbread. Nori takes some greens and cornbread, and Mercy chides, "Nori! Y'have to have black-eyed peas! For luck!"

Nori blushes and says, "I'm sorry, Mercy, I—it looks like there's ham in them."

"'Course there's ham in them, I know how to cook."

"It's just, I don't eat meat."

"Well, it's just a tiny bit of meat."

Nori gives a polite smile and says, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to offend you. But I really can't eat that."

Mercy scrunches her eyebrows in frustration. "But it's New Year's Day, girl!"

"I'll just have to count on my own luck, then."

Mercy shakes her head. "I'll be right back."

"No, please, you really—" but Mercy has already swished out of the room.

"No point in arguing with her, _cher_," Henri says amiably.

"How come you don't eat meat?" Jean-Luc asks.

Nori hesitates a moment before replying, "Because of my religion." It's a simplified answer, though true in part.

"It isn't Lent," Jean-Luc says.

Nori smiles. "I know. I'm not Catholic. I'm Buddhist."

"What's that mean?" he asks. Nori gently explains the tenets of her religion to the children, and Mercy comes back with a small bowl of black-eyed peas.

"Here, sweetie, these probably won't taste too good but you gotta eat a couple for luck. Just plain boiled peas."

"Thank you, Mercy, that's so kind of you."

"_Maman,_ _Tante_ Nori doesn't believe in God," Jean-Luc blurts out.

Nori covers her mouth with her hand. "Jean-Luc asked me why I don't eat meat," she says apologetically, "and I told him it was because of my religion. I'm Buddhist."

"Hmm," Mercy says thoughtfully. "And Buddhists don't eat meat?"

"Most of us don't, no," Nori says, "though it's up to individual interpretation.'

"Well. No wonder you're so skinny!" Mercy says, and Nori gives a small smile. She eats her black-eyed peas, to Mercy's approval, and she takes a second piece of cornbread.

Paulette gives Remy a challenging look. "_Oncle_ Remy, _Papa_ says you were the youngest Master T'ief in the Guild."

"_Oui_, that I was," Remy says. "Not so young anymore, though."

"I'm going to beat you," Paulette says.

"Are you now, _cherie_? Good luck," Remy says with a grin. "How old are you?"

"I'm twelve," Paulette says. "And I'm good."

"I just bet you are, _petite_."

"I'm lots better than Jean-Luc."

Jean-Luc blushes. "You've had more practice. You're older."

Nori looks on sympathetically. "I bet you're good at other things, Jean-Luc."

"No," Paulette says scornfully. "All he does is read."

"No, I-I like running. And playing soccer."

"My niece Aiko plays soccer. She's about your age. Do you play on a team?"

"No, just in the streets. With some other kids."

"Paulette, do you play soccer too?"

"No, that's kids' stuff," Paulette says, importantly.

Nori smiles a little. "Oh. Well, what else do you like to do?"

Paulette shrugs. "Hang out."

"Cool."

Mercy shifts the conversation back to Nori—she can tell they're all curious about the Yankee outsider, but only Mercy will ask questions like how she and Remy met. Nori glances at Remy, not sure how much to say, how much his family knows about the Brotherhood.

"Ah, well, we were both in the Brotherhood of Mutants." Nori quirks up her mouth at the abbreviated explanation, but it'll do.

Paulette looks up, interested. "_Tante_ Nori, you're a mutant too?"

Nori nods and levitates her water glass in front of her. Easier to explain than the other powers.

"Cool!" both kids say, and she shrugs.

"And you're a musician, _oui_?" Mercy asks.

"Yeah. I play guitar and violin, kind of indie-rock music. But I guess I'm retired now."

"Look a little young for retirement, _cherie_," Henri says.

"It's just like, too many people want me dead these days. Seems like I should stay out of the spotlight. I teach music classes now."

"Fair 'nough," Henri says.

"You'd let the Assassins Guild stop you from music?" Paulette says, unimpressed.

"No, um, I actually didn't really know there was an Assassins Guild until pretty recently. It's more like, well, the government, I guess. Them and the Friends of Humanity are the main people who want me dead."

"You didn't know about the Guild?" Paulette asks.

"No, it, um… guess it was never really part of my life. 'Til I met your Uncle Remy, of course."

Paulette crosses her arms and Nori realizes that the girl hasn't given much thought to life outside New Orleans, outside this small circle of Thieves and Assassins. She casts a quick glance at Remy, who says, "Aw, _cherie_, you know most people don' know 'bout the Guilds. Better that way, _non_?"

"Yeah. Guess so," Paulette says, looking down. Jean-Luc pipes up and starts asking Nori questions about other cities, impressed when she's been to every one he names-Chicago, New York, Atlanta, LA, San Francisco, Seattle.

"What's your favorite city?" he asks, finally.

"Well, New York," she says, as if it were obvious.

Every LeBeau at the table besides Remy looks up, scandalized. Remy's lips bear the faintest possible trace of a smirk.

"Uh… sorry?" she adds. "I mean, um, New Orleans is nice too." The kids snicker at the way she says "New Orleans," and she shrugs. "Well, if you ever come up north, I'd be happy to show you around the city. We have really good pizza there."

After lunch, Nori tries to help clean up but her offer is forcefully rejected. "Absolutely not! You are a guest," Mercy says.

"Well, thank you," Nori says. "But maybe I'll just keep you company in the kitchen? Give Remy and Henri a little time to catch up."

"Not a bad idea," Mercy says, with an approving nod. Nori surreptitiously starts drying dishes and Mercy glares. "Leave those be! They'll air dry."

"All right," Nori says, holding her hands up in surrender.

"So, Nori… you know what you're getting into, with Remy?"

"Yeah. I think I do. He, uh… he's been there for me through some really rough times. And he's so… sweet."

Mercy laughs. "He's sweet on you, that's for sure." Nori blushes a little. "Well, I wish you luck. Seems like maybe you can keep up with him."

"Hope so," Nori says. "So, Mercy…" she's not exactly sure how to ask, and she doesn't want her new friend to take offense. But she barrels on, "… are you in the Guild, too?"

"Am I a t'ief, you mean? Nope. Henri and I actually met when he stole my purse."

"Oh?" Nori asks. "Doesn't seem like a great way to start a relationship."

Mercy shrugs. "Later that night he found me stapling up signs around town trying to get it back. Some of my late grandmother's jewelry had been in there, on my way back from the deposit box at the bank. He returned it and he was just so charming."

Nori sighs. "I know something about that."

Mercy nods. "This is the first time I've met Remy, but I t'ink he might be even worse than Henri. You two talked about kids?"

"No, I—I don't think it's… I don't think it's a good idea for us."

"Sure about that? Kids are gifts from God. And you two would have some _beautiful_ babies."

"It's not that I don't like kids. It's just… I, uh, I've had a lot of mental health problems over the years. I don't think I'm fit to be a parent."

Mercy shakes her head. "I saw you with Jean-Luc. You'd be a great parent."

"No," Nori says, urgently. "I know I can talk to kids. But—but being a parent? Being responsible for a child's life? Twenty-four hours a day? I… I can't commit to that. I can barely be responsible for my own life."

"Ah, we all feel that way," Mercy reassures her. "It'll come natural to you. Well—but no pressure, you do what you like."

Nori smiles, a little uneasily. Mercy finishes up the dishes and says, "Well, let's go see what the LeBeau men are up to." Nori trails after Mercy, into yet another room of the house. Remy would call it a parlor. The room boasts a beautiful baby grand piano. Nori's eyes flick to it as she walks to sit next to Remy on an ornate little loveseat.

"Hey, _cher_, why don't you play a song for us?" Remy asks, always happy to have his girl show off.

"Oh… if you want," she says, glancing around.

"_Oui_, of course," Henri says, and Mercy smiles.

"Well, sure. But, um, just so you know, piano isn't really my thing."

"She's bein' modest," Remy says. "She plays piano better'n most people."

Nori shakes her head. "Well. What should I play?"

"Anyt'ing you want, _cher_," Henri says.

Nori experimentally plays a few keys and winces. "Does, ah, does anyone play this piano regularly?"

"Not really," Mercy says. "Jean-Luc took lessons a few years ago but mostly it just sits here."

"It's, ah… out of tune. Still want me to play?"

"Sounds okay to me," Henri says. Nori shrugs and begins playing. Only Remy can tell, from her face, that she's not thrilled about the piano. But that's only because he can compare her current expression with the little rapture that takes over when she plays guitar or violin.

She sings, trying to compensate with her voice for what she knows is inadequate piano playing. It's a song she loves well, one she knows she can sing with the right mixture of openness and sadness to win over an audience.

_She looks like Eva Marie Saint_

_In On the Waterfront_,

_She says all she needs is therapy_

_All you need is "love is all you need"_

_Jodi never sleeps 'cause there are always needles in the hay_

_Hey, she says a girl needs a gun these days_

_Hey, on account of the rattlesnakes_

Hey, on account of the rattlesnakes

The LeBeaus applaud and murmur praise. Remy glows with pleasure.

"Pretty girl like you shouldn't have to sing such sad songs," Henri says. "Sounded real good, though."

Nori smiles, knowing she can't deflect the praise without being condescending. Truly, she knows she's an adequate pianist at best. She traces her fingers over the piano playfully.

"There's a song I want to play, but I am not sure I remember all the words. Bear with me, okay?"

"'Course," Remy says.

She plays and hums a little, then begins to sing. She smiles at Remy when she reaches the chorus, singing his middle name:

_Etienne_

_Etienne_

_Hear the west wind_

_Whisper my name_

_Oh, Etienne_

_Etienne_

_By the morning_

_Maybe I'll remember_

_Who I am_

In the second verse she has to hum a few lines instead of singing, but no one minds.

Henri raises his eyebrows. "You write that song?" he asks.

"Nah, I'd remember it I wrote it," she says. "It's Tori Amos. One of her early songs." She blinks when neither Henri nor Mercy appear to recognize the name. She's not in her world anymore.

She plays them a cheerful Regina Spektor song, carefully lowering her shield to shine a little love at Remy as she plays. The kids are drawn to the parlor and they stand in the doorway, watching. She smiles up at them and wracks her mind for something she can play on the piano that they might like. She settles for "Poker Face," which she'd long ago transposed into a folk-guitar arrangement. She makes it up for piano on the fly. It's not perfect, but she's playing for a forgiving audience. She plays a few more songs and then gracefully peels herself away from the piano.

"No, no, you guys'll get sick of me," she says, when the LeBeaus wheedles for one more. "You always have to leave your audience wanting more." She winks. "But sometime I'll have to play some songs with guitar for you, or violin. And _please_, promise me you'll get someone to tune that piano for you! It's too beautiful to be neglected," she says.

"I'll look into it," Mercy promises.

"So," Henri says. "You two gonna have a church wedding?"

Nori raises her eyebrows, and Remy says, "Ah, Henri, you know we can't. I'm divorced—or will be—and she ain't a Catholic."

"I don't really want a big wedding," Nori says with a shrug. "Far as I'm concerned we can just go to the JP and have a judge marry us."

Remy pouts. "But then we can't have a cake."

"We could have a little party after, at the school. I'll make you a cake.' 

"If the party's at the school, we can't have champagne."

Mercy speaks up. "Y'have to have a wedding, Nori! Don't you want a dress, flowers, all that?"

She shrugs. "I could take it or leave it. I used to play violin at a lot of weddings and I guess… guess I pretty much had my fill of that kinda thing."

Mercy looks suspicious. "Remy, you ain't been trying to talk her out of a wedding, have you?"

"_Non, non_. I love a good party."

"We can have a _party_," Nori says. "We don't need a wedding to have a party. Or we can have a wedding if you want. It's fine. I'm like whatever about it."

Mercy laughs. "Well, you're sure not a Southern girl."

"That's for true," Remy agrees. "She don't even like sweet tea." Nori smiles good-naturedly at the teasing. She's frankly pleased to have her distinguishing characteristic be Northern, rather than mutant or Asian-American.

"What can I say? I like my tea like I like my vegetables: green."

Remy tries to keeps the conversation light with jokes about Nori's Northern heritage and questions about his niece and nephew. He's just getting over one marriage; he doesn't need to start planning a wedding right now.

The two couples chat until Mercy gets up to prepare a quick dinner. Remy and Nori stay and eat with the LeBeaus, and Henri gives them a ride back to their hotel afterward. The brothers murmur to each other in French and Nori quietly studies her fingernails. They need a good filing. Finally, Henri stops in front of their hotel and she and Remy head up to their room.

NOTE: Songs quoted are "Rattlesnakes" by Llloyd Cole & the Commotions (but perhaps better known for being covered by Tori Amos) and "Etienne" by Y Kant Tori Read (perhaps better known as Tori Amos' weird band from the 80s before she released her first solo album). And yes, Remy's established middle name is Etienne. HOW FRENCH.


	28. Chapter 28

Remy and Nori sit out on their balcony and smoke. "Your brother's family's really nice," Nori says.

"_Oui_, Mercy seems like a good woman. That Paulette… she's gonna be trouble some day."

"Yeah, she reminded me of you," Nori says teasingly.

"Exactly," Remy says. He exhales thoughtfully. "Y'know, Henri asked me if we'd thought about kids."

"Yeah, Mercy asked me the same thing." Nori takes a long drag and asks, "So, what'd you tell him?"

"Told him we hadn't exactly thought about it. Not really a good time." He casts a sidelong glance at her. "What'd _you_ say?"

"Said I wasn't emotionally stable enough to be a mother," she says, matter-of-factly.

"_Cher_! You are—"

"No, Remy, I'm not looking for reassurance. It's true. _Especially_ since I have telepathy now. Can you imagine if I got postpartum depression—which, let's face it, I probably would?" She shakes her head vigorously and sighs. "You, ah…" she trails off and lets her empathy talk for her.

"Nah, _cher_, don't mind none. Don't think I was really cut out to be a father. Just thought… thought… we should talk about it."

Nori's quiet. Her empathy tells Remy she's feeling wistful, but nothing overwhelming. He speaks up, "Y'know, there's a whole lotta kids at the mansion that love you, even though you didn't give birth to 'em."

She nods. "Remy… d'you ever think about Pyro?"

"Sometimes," Remy says. He does—usually when he sees the kid turn up on the news. He'd liked Pyro, but he'd never been close to him the way Nori had.

"That poor kid," she says. "I just can't stop thinking that I betrayed him."

Remy shrugs. "He has to know that you're better off with Xavier. I—you don't want to go back to Magneto, do you?"

"No. But I just wish… just wish it could be different."

"I'm sure Xavier'd let him come back…" Remy says, but they both shake their heads.

"Pyro would never come back to the school. He's too stubborn," Nori says with a sigh.

"Well, that ain't your fault. Ain't your fault Magneto threw you in the path of the FOH, and it ain't your fault the X-Men were the ones who saved us. You gotta play the hand you're dealt, _cher_, and so does Pyro."

"Technically it is my fault the X-Men saved us," Nori says. "Not that I'm complaining about it. Anyway, there's a difference between… blame and regret, I suppose. I don't blame myself, or you, for leaving the Brotherhood. You're right. It was the best choice for us. But I do regret the impact those choices had on Pyro. That's all. I wish I could just, you know, call him and chat once in awhile. Let him know I still care about him. But he's the one who has chosen to shut us out."

Remy sighs. "'s his loss, _cherie_."

"Yeah." She's tapping her fingernails against the table in an elaborate rhythm. She says, "Remy, let's go out. Somewhere."

""Course."

"But let's try not to get too fucked up, okay?"

Remy laughs. "Well, all right, _cher_. If that's your idea of a good time." He takes her out to a little place where he had long ago been a regular. His first sign that it's in new hands is that Nori gets carded, though they don't give her fake ID a second glance. Remy's saddened not to recognize any of the bartenders. But there's a card game going, and Nori nudges him toward it.

"You want to play?"

"No, I want to watch you play."

He grins at her. He gets them each a beer from the bar and they walk over to the table. Remy falls easily into the banter of the game, showing off for Nori. He considers how easily Nori could win if she were to play. She could simply read the minds of all the players. But he wouldn't ask that of her—and anyway, where would the fun in that be?

After Remy wins one too many hands, a kid at the table—Remy thinks of him as a kid, though he's probably older than Remy was when he was dealing poker in Rue Bourbon—resentfully says, "Aw, you're cheating. No fair having your girl at the table if she's not playing. She's probably checking out our hands for us."

"She can't see anything more'n I can," Remy protests. "And she ain't moved since we sat down here."

The dealer says, mildly, "Technically, only players are supposed to sit at the table."

"Then deal me in," Nori says, with an irritated toss of her hair. Remy grins down at her.

"This should be interesting, _cher_."

"Indeed." She raises her eyebrows at him, and the game does indeed get interesting. The same kid who'd accused Nori of cheating stalks away from the table after three more hands, of which Remy had won two and Nori had won the other.

"Nice work, _cherie_," Remy says.

She bats her eyelashes. "I learned from the best."

They spend another hour playing cards and leave the table with a not-insignificant pile of winnings between them. Somehow, it wasn't as much fun as Remy had remembered it being.

Nori looks up at him and whispers, "I think it's more fun when we play at home."

"You read my mind, _cher_."

"No, I didn't," she says indignantly.

"Figure of speech."

"Oh. Right." She finishes her beer and Remy asks if she wants another. "Nah, I'm good."

He nods. "Let's go back to the hotel, then."

"Oh, we don't have to. I'm fine to stay out a while longer."

Remy pouts. "Y'don't wanna be alone with me, _cher_?"

"Well… when you put it like that," she says, and carefully steps down from her bar stool. She slips her arm around Remy's waist as they walk out of the bar.

In the morning, over breakfast, Remy says, "Let's go home, Nori."

"Yeah? We still have a week of break."

"Maybe we'll drive back slow. But I… I've had my fill of N'awlins," he says, hardly able to believe it.

"Well… that's fine by me. Are you sure?"

"Yeah. This city… ain't what I remember."

She nods. "You've changed too, since you were here last."

"S'pose I have, _cher_."

She studies his face for a moment and says, "I didn't know you twenty years ago, but I really love the person you are now."

He gives an unself-conscious smile. "Good." He watches her daintily eat shredded pieces of a croissant before he asks, "_Cher_? Does it bother you? What I used to be?"

She looks surprised. "A thief, you mean?"

He nods.

"No. For starters, you were a child when you started. You grew up with it. It would be like if it bothered you that I play violin. And anyway, I have these Marxist tendencies. I'm like not the biggest fan of private property. It… I mean, I know it's illegal, or whatever, but, it kind of doesn't bother me that much. You weren't hurting anybody, really. Anyway," she says with a wink, "you stole my heart, remember?"

Remy stretches his hands behind his head, content. "Some of my finest work, that little job."

She laughs. "I don't know, Remy. I don't think I have a very high resale value."

"_Cher_, you're a collector's piece. Only gonna appreciate with time." She covers her mouth with her hand and laughs. Remy grins back, feeling affection radiate off of her in waves. And if he misses the thrill of a good job, and if she misses the adrenaline rush of performing for a sold-out crowd, well, neither of them would trade this moment for their old lives.

They make love one last time before checking out of their hotel. Nori steps out onto the balcony to make sure they haven't left anything there, and suddenly finds herself crying. Remy comes out and wraps his arms around her from behind. "What's wrong, _cher_?" he asks, though he knows by now that Nori doesn't always have a particularly compelling reason for tears. She cries at pet food commercials, at songs she likes, and when the kids at Xavier's have math tests (she says the stress in the air is suffocating and she has to shield tightly against it). She cries when things remind her of her sister, or of Stryker. He still hates seeing her cry.

She sighs and sends him a memory. It's fresh; only a few days ago when she paced out on the balcony while Remy sorted things out with Belladonna inside. From her memory, he can tell that she felt scared and cold and sad. He strokes her hair. "_Cher_, you know I wouldn't leave you for her."

She sniffs and whispers, fully aware of how ridiculous it sounds, "She's prettier than me."

He sighs. "You're beautiful. Do you need me to stand here and list all the reasons I love you?"

"Sorry. I know I'm being silly. I just."

He keeps petting her hair. "Extremely silly, _cher_. Here. Read my mind." She turns and looks up at him through teary lashes. "Do it. Look at y'self the way I see you," he urges.

She bites her lip and closes her eyes. He senses her gentle touch in his mind, and she buries her face in his chest and cries.

"_Cher_?" he asks, concerned. Had he been thinking something he shouldn't have?

_Love you_, she sends. She cries a little more and then she sighs and says, "Sorry, Remy," wiping her face with the back of her hand.

"Cry all you need, cher," Remy says.

"I think I'm done. You know, for now. Let me just go wash my face." She rises on tiptoe to kiss Remy's cheek before leaving the balcony. Remy stares out over the railing for a few minutes before going inside. He finds Nori with a clean face and freshly re-applied eye makeup. If he hadn't been there, he never would have guessed that she'd been crying moments earlier. He's still floored by how quicksilver her moods can be.

She smiles up at him. "Well, let's go!"

He laughs. "Sorry t'keep you waiting, _cherie_." They take their bags downstairs. Remy returns the key and checks out, just like any upstanding gentleman would, and they stroll out to their car. They drive north on route 24, passing through Rogue's hometown, Meridian, Mississippi. They don't stop; there's nothing there for them. They drive six hours and reach Birmingham, Alabama.

"Could we stop here?" Nori asks.

"'Course. You know somebody here?"

"Not exactly. I-I always wanted to see the Birmingham Jail."

"Not the inside of it, I hope."

She laughs. "No. Just-you know, did you ever read Martin Luther King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail?"

"Can't say as I have."

"It's-it's just beautiful. It's, um, it's where he wrote that 'injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' It's one of my favorite pieces of writing. And, I mean, it's just a place-but-I always wanted to see it."

"Well, sure, _cher_, but I can't say as it sounds like a very fun vacation spot to me."

"No," she agrees. "Not fun. But... important."

They check into a Days Inn and eat at a sketchy little Chinese buffet. Afterward, Nori pulls open her laptop and reads A Letter from a Birmingham Jail aloud to Remy. It's long, and she struggles a little with some of the words, but her voice is pure and deeply moved by it.

She reads, "We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." It was "illegal" to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler's Germany. Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at the time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country's antireligious laws.

I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection."

She pauses, and they're both thinking of Magneto and Xavier.

"We're doing the right thing, aren't we?" she asks.

"How in the hell am I supposed to know?" he replies, tiredly. "We're doing our best."

She nods, and reads on: "Actually, we who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive. We bring it out in the open, where it can be seen and dealt with. Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with all its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured. In your statement you assert that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence. But is this a logical assertion? Isn't this like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery?"

She finishes the long letter and seems troubled. Remy slips behind her and rubs her shoulders. She sighs and leans into him.

"You sure you want to go see this jail tomorrow?" Remy asks. "Seems like it's upsetting you."

"I want to go because it upsets me," she says, carefully. "I don't want to be complacent."

"Lie down, _ma mie_," Remy says, and she uses her TK to set her laptop on the desk and complies. Remy rubs his hands further down her back and says hesitantly, "Seems like... maybe you'd be happier if you didn't make yourself read things like that."

"I know," she murmurs. "Oh," she sighs, as Remy kneads her lower back. She lowers the shield over her empathy, letting him share in the fruits of his labors. "It's just... I feel like I have this obligation. That if someone else lived through it, I should know about it. Should honor it."

"Don't put too much weight on your shoulders, petite. They're pretty small, you know," he says, squeezing them. "There's just one of you. Y'can't take on the whole world's pain. You'll go crazy that way."

"I know. It is a fine line to walk. But I can't... oh, right there, but harder... I can't not think about these things. But I know... oh... what you're saying, I have heard it before. I, I wish I could be more like you, Remy."

"_Quoi_? Why would you want to be more like me?"

"You're so zen, love. You just take things as they come. You live in the moment." Remy considers this.

"But _cher..._ you're a better person than I am," he blurts.

"No!"

"I mean, you... you notice when other people are upset. You help them. You are so kind."

She snorts. "And you aren't? You've already talked me down from one crying spree today and now you're giving me a backrub."

"Well. Of course I notice when it's you," he says, tenderly.

"Perhaps we are meant to function as a pair," Nori says. "You take care of me-"

"And you take care of everyone else," Remy says.

"Not everyone."

Remy caresses her lightly and then comes to lie next to her. "I can live with that arrangement," he says. She turns and kisses his cheek.

"I just... I know... I've been told... I can be hard... to deal with," she says, with difficulty.

He strokes her hair. "It can be, a little... because I hate seein' you sad, and it seems like you're sad a lot. But it's worth it. _Je t'aime_."

"I love you, too. You make me happy, Remy."

"I know." He hesitates. "You know-I hate the FOH for what they did to you. But I have to say that I love what happened to your power."

She smiles. "Every cloud has its silver lining, huh? I like it too. Bet they never saw that one coming when they kicked my face in, huh?"

Remy tenses and puts his arm around her. "I know I brought it up. But don't let's talk about that."

"Okay," she agrees. But, reminded of what the FOH had done, she takes one of Remy's hands and massages it. He sighs with pleasure. They sit quietly together while Nori plies Remy's long, slender fingers with her small calloused hands. Finally, she kisses the top of his head and says, "Let's see if there's any reality TV on. I don't want to think about anything for the rest of the evening."

"Good idea, _cher_." They sit up in bed and Nori nestles against Remy's chest as they watch _America's Next Top Model_.

"This show is horrible," Nori breathes, but Remy can tell she enjoys it.

"Shh, don't think about it."

"Oh my God, Remy, she's making them wear blackface makeup. This is offensive."

"Want to see what else is on?"

"No... I want to see who wins."

He laughs and acquiesces. He'd never say no to watching a bunch of pretty women, though listening to them bicker makes him all the more grateful for the gentle musician by his side.

In the morning Nori goes online to figure out where the Birmingham jail is. "You know, I wonder if you can actually visit it," she says. "I maybe should have thought of that sooner. You would think it would be a museum or something, right? Let's see. They have King's actual cell inside the Civil Rights Institute. Well... can we go there? And ask them?"

"Sure, _cherie_."

It's an emotionally draining day. They visit the museum, and Nori stares for a long time at the small cell that's been transplanted there. She has a shield over her telepathy but Remy is certain they're both thinking about the time they'd spent in similar cells.

They visit the park, where police unleashed attack dogs on nonviolent protesters. Nori jumps a little when she first sees the commemorative statues of fierce dogs, and Remy takes her hand. They visit the 16th Street Baptist Church where four little girls were killed by bombs, and there Nori cries for the first time that day. Remy holds her and wonders how she can feel so much. Of course, the death of four young girls is sad, but it was fifty years ago, and he'd never met them. But through her empathy, he can _feel_ how personal this is for Nori. They get a sympathetic look from the tour guide, though the two black college-age girls on the tour with them seem a little irritated. Nori can tell and she shakily pulls herself together, though her emotional projections are still all over the place. After the tour is over, Remy and Nori both kneel and pray, returning to old habits instilled by Catholic upbringing and schooling, respectively.

As they stand to leave, one of the girls from the tour approaches and says, softly, "Where're you from?"

"Boston," Nori says. "And you?'

"Atlanta."

Nori smiles and extends a hand. "I'm Midori," she says.

The girl blinks and accepts the proffered hand saying, "Alicia." She hesitates. "You seemed really moved by the tour."

Nori nods. "I…my niece is about the age of those girls, and I…" she shakes her head. "It's so awful. There's so much that's so awful about American history. It's overwhelming."

Alicia nods. "I know. I study history at Spelman, and it's really hard sometimes. Feels like they can never make it up to us, you know?" she asks, glancing unconsciously at Remy, the only white person in the church.

Nori casts a sidelong glance at Remy and nods. "And now everything's just repeating itself with mutants."

"I guess I never thought of it that way," Alicia says. Her friend comes over and she looks a little hostile. "Hey, Kesho, this is Midori. Midori, Kesho."

Nori politely extends her hand. "It's nice to meet you," she says.

Kesho nods, though her glance is still hard. Remy's still hovering a few feet behind Nori, and no one has acknowledged him. But Kesho looks right at him and says, "Who's he?"

Nori smiles and says, "This is Henri."

Remy nods politely and says, "_Enchante_, ladies."

Alicia smiles, but Kesho rolls her eyes. "So, what, you guys came here to take a few pictures and assuage your white guilt?"

Nori raises her eyebrows. "I'm not white."

Kesho shrugs. "As good as. Nobody crosses the street when they see an Asian girl walking toward them."

"They do when they see a mutant walking toward them," Nori says, chin raised. Remy tenses slightly.

Kesho narrows her eyes. "You're a mutant?"

"Yes."

Remy looks down over his sunglasses and says, "Is that a problem?"

The two girls inhale sharply, but Alicia says, "No. It isn't." Kesho nods.

Nori sighs and smiles up at the two girls. "Well, it was nice to meet you both. Good luck in school."

"You too," Alicia says. Nori takes Remy's hand and they walk out of the church.

On the street, she says, "It's almost comforting to remember that mutants aren't the only ones people hate."

"You know, that's true," Remy says.

"If all the mutants, queers, and people of color united, we could totally overthrow the white men in power."

"Hey now, I'm a white man, if you hadn't noticed."

"A white man with red eyes. We all know whose side you're on," Nori says with a grin.

"Whatever side you're on, that's where I want to be." She snorts and sighs.

"You are the cutest ever."

Remy preens at that, and they kiss. The next morning, they leave early. It's sixteen hours from Birmingham to Salem Center, and they've decided to push through and make it back to the mansion that night. Nori claims to be done with historical tourism for a while, and, well, the mansion feels like home to them.

They stop for lunch in the middle of Virginia. Nori regards a giant burrito quizzically for a moment before cutting the entire thing into tiny pieces. Remy laughs at her over his steak fajitas.

"_Cher_, I thought the whole point of the burrito was to pick it up and eat it."

"They made that burrito for somebody with a bigger mouth than me. Somebody like you, maybe," she says, scrunching her nose at him. He lifts his eyebrows and smirks at her, and she blushes even though he hadn't actually said anything.

After lunch, she asks, "You want me to drive?"

"If you want to."

"I mean I have a preference for not driving. But if you're tired of it I'll happily take over."

"Nah. I like driving."

"I know. I just thought I should offer."

"Much appreciated."

So Remy drives, and Nori entertains him. She points out billboards, she messes with the radio, and she makes up little songs for Remy. Around 1am, they arrive at the mansion. They step out of the car and stretch limbs tired from their long day in the car. They shiver in the cold garage—they're back to New York in the winter—and quickly take their bags inside and slip upstairs without seeing anyone, but as soon as they stop outside their door, Logan steps out of his room and into the hallway. Nori offers him a hug.

"Welcome home, darlin'," he says. He nods at Remy. "How was the trip?"

"It was fine," Nori says. "His ex-wife tried to kill me."

"Way to focus on the negative, _cher_."

"You all right?" Logan asks.

"Yeah, yeah, fine."

"You were _married_?" Logan asks.

"It was a long time ago."

"You don't seem like the marryin' kind."

"Appearances can be deceiving, _mon frere_," Remy says with a smirk.

Logan studies them both carefully and, on a hunch, grabs Nori's left hand. She shrugs up at him and gives him a huge smile. "Huh. Congratulations," Logan says.

"Thanks!" Nori says, still smiling. Remy has a grin just as big. Logan nods.

"So tell me more about Gambit's ex-wife," Logan says.

Nori groans. "God, she's like seven feet tall and blonde. And an assassin. Or whatever."

Remy shakes his head. "She's nobody, not compared to Nori."

"She killed a guy on the roof of our hotel."

"Huh. Sounds like your type, LeBeau," Logan says. Nori's face goes carefully blank and Logan regrets his words.

Remy shakes his head again. "Maybe once. Not any more."

Logan nods. "Well. Good. You'll have to invite me to the wedding."

"We were hoping you'd cut the cake for us," Nori says sweetly. Logan laughs, and Nori says, "But I don't even know if we're going to have a wedding. But _obviously_ you'll be invited to whatever we end up doing."

"I'll be sure to clear my social calendar," Logan says.

Nori smiles and says, "Good night, Logan."

"Night, darlin'. Night, Remy."

"_Bonsoir_."

Nori and Remy enter their room and set down their bags. Nori sighs. "It's nice to be home," she says, and Remy can't disagree.

NOTES: You can read the full text of the Letter from a Birmingham Jail here (minus spaces):

http:/www. africa. upenn .edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham .htm

And there totally was a blackface episode of America's Next Top Model.

http:/www. huffingtonpost. com/2009/10/29/americas-next-top-model-p_n_338741. html


	29. Chapter 29

At breakfast, Ororo immediately notices Nori's ring and word of their engagement spreads across the dining hall with dazzling speed. Nori blushes and smiles sweetly at the attention. Remy looks pleased but a little nervous. He's aware that many at Xavier's are still suspicious of him, and he isn't sure everyone at the school is pleased about the idea of Noriko LeBeau. But Nori's so cheerful, Remy doesn't see how anyone could rain on her parade.

He finds out after breakfast, when Nori goes up to her office and Remy goes down to the gym. Logan follows him down there and asks, "What're you playin' at, bub?"

Remy lifts his eyebrows. "Just came to get in a workout."

Logan shakes his head. "You serious about Nori? 'Bout marrying her?"

Remy throws a punch at a big blue Everlast bag. "You saw the ring, _mon ami_."

Logan snorts. "I imagine that was real hard to come by."

"You here to call me a t'ief, Logan? Fine. I am a t'ief. But I did not steal that ring, and I love her."

"You just don't seem like the marryin' kind, Cajun, and I don't wanna see her get hurt."

Remy throws a few more punches before answering, "She's been hurt before, Logan, and I've been right by her side. And… maybe I didn't used to be the marryin' kind. Maybe I still ain't. But I ain't a kid anymore, y'know? I don't need a different girl every night. I love her, and that is enough for her. Shouldn't it be enough for you? Have I given anyone here a reason to doubt me?"

Logan regards him for a moment before nodding. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Remy blinks. "That's it?"

Logan shrugs. "What, you want me to hit you?"

"Can't say as I do. But I do not believe I provided you with any new information, just now."

"You smell honest. I just wanted to be sure."

"What, that I wasn't marrying her for her money?" Remy says with a smirk.

"I care about her, y'know." 

"You think I don't? You think you're the first person who's told me to 'take care of her'? How patronizing is that? As if I weren't trying. _Mon dieu_!" He throws a few vicious hooks at the punching bag.

"Hmm. You sure you don't wanna throw some of those at me, bub?"

"You have any idea how pissed Nori'd be if we fought over her?" Remy shakes his head. "If we fight, we'll do it in the Danger Room. For training. Not now."

Logan nods and takes a few deep breaths. Maybe the Cajun wasn't such a kid, after all. "You're right, LeBeau," he says, and stalks out of the gym. Remy mutters something in French that Logan's pretty sure isn't complimentary. Logan doesn't mind. He's satisfied with Remy's responses. He goes upstairs and finds Rogue and Bobby—back from a quick and, Logan presumes, terse, visit home for Christmas— watching TV in the living room and decides to join them. They're a couple he's not quite so satisfied about, and he enjoys the opportunity to check in with Marie and needle Bobby, just a little.

Neither Nori nor Remy come down to lunch, and Logan wonders what they're up to. After lunch he decides to seek out Nori. He can hear her and smell her in her office and he knocks on her door and waits for a response. When he doesn't get one after a few seconds, he just opens the door.

She's sitting at her desk with headphones in, tapping her guitar rhythmically. There's a plate with a few pieces of sandwich on it sitting incongruously on her bookshelf. She looks up suddenly and says, "Mother—! Ah, sorry, Logan. Come in." She pulls off her headphones.

"This a bad time?"

"Ah, not a big deal. I was recording that, but I can do it again."

"You were recording yourself hitting your guitar?"

"Yeah. I mean, I don't have a drum. You know. I'm working on this kind of lo-fi project."

He regards her a little skeptically and she clarifies, "I mean, I'm going to layer that in with some guitar and violin and vocals. I just can only record one thing at a time, you know?"

"That why you didn't come down to lunch?"

"Yes, mom. Remy already brought me some food. I just lost track of time." She looks at him thoughtfully. "I figured I'd see you around here before too long. I'm fine, you know. Better than I've been in a long time."

He hesitates and wonders if Remy'd told her about their conversation in the gym. He also wonders if he should even bother trying to keep secrets from his telepathic friend. So he says, "Just checking, darlin'. I already talked with Remy this morning."

"Let me guess. You told him to 'take care of me.'"

Logan holds his hands out in surrender. "Sorry, darlin'. Just want to make sure you're okay."

"So does Remy," she says mildly. "Look, I appreciate it, Logan. And I'm not going to try to tell you that I can take care of myself." She sighs. "Obviously I can't. I would have died years ago without help from friends and lovers. But don't forget, I'm a telepath now. And I trust Remy. And I did before. I mean, whatever, as Rae is so fond of reminding me, I have made some awful life decisions. But I feel good about this one, I really do. And if I'm wrong, I'll pick myself up and try again."

Logan nods. "Fair enough."

She smiles at him warmly. "Good. So, how was your New Year's Eve?"

"Ah, you know. Watched the ball drop with the kids. Had some champagne. Nothin' fancy. What'd you and Gambit get up to?"

"Uh, well, we went out to this jazz club and it was pretty good and all, but then at midnight they set off fireworks and I had a real bad panic attack. But like whatever, it ended up okay."

Logan considers and decides not to ask follow-up questions. Instead, he says, "So, what're you recording?"

"It's a present for Rachael, actually. In the winter we always give each other gifts that are second-hand or homemade. So I'm recording some of our old favorite songs for her. Stuff we listened to in college."

"Ah. What kind of stuff did you listen to in college?" In truth, Logan doesn't really care, but he knows it's important to Nori.

She looks at him dubiously and says, "Well, how about if I just play one for you? But you have to keep quiet when I'm recording this shit."

"You know, it ain't like you had a sign up on your door or anything."

"That's true. Let me make one." She does—"Shh! I'm Recording!" and tapes it up.

"Liz Phair," she says. "We loved Liz Phair. Maybe you can guess why." Then she takes her guitar off its stand and adjusts some settings on her computer. He notices, with a twinge of guilt, the framed picture of Nori and Yuriko on her desk. Yuriko's several inches taller than Nori, but the family resemblance is clear. Yuriko looks happy, carefree—nothing like the vicious killer he'd faced in Canada.

Apparently unaware of Logan's train of thought, Nori starts to play and teasingly sings,

_I bet you fall in bed too easily_

_With the beautiful girls who are shyly brave_

_And you sell yourself as a man to save_

Logan grins when she reaches the lines,

_I kept standing six feet one_

Instead of five feet two

_And I loved my life_

_And I hated you_

She finishes and turns to Logan. "So, yeah, we were really into like angry girl singer-songwriters."

"Are you even 5'2"?"

"Well, no, but it's not my song." She taps the desk. "I really wanted to be like a punk rock riot grrrl but the fact is I just don't have the voice for it. My voice is way more, you know, Joni Mitchell than Courtney Love, or whatever. But you have to work with what you have, you know?"

Logan blinks, and Nori sighs. "Aw, Christ, sorry. There is like literally nothing I like talking about more than my intense relationship with mid-90s riot grrrl music, but I sense you do not share my passion."

"Not so much, no."

"No, but I bet you would love Bikini Kill. Hang on," she says, and clicks away at her laptop, producing harsh-sounding drums and guitar, paired with a girl whose voice Logan would describe as something between a snarl and a wail. He doesn't actually like it that much, especially since it's playing at a volume too high for his sensitive hearing.

He grimaces. "It's just noise. Be glad you don't sing like that."

"Just _noise_?" She clicks her tongue disapprovingly.

"But I guess I don't have your trained ear."

She shrugs. "Like what you like. It wasn't 20 years of Bach that made me love Bikini Kill—or maybe it was, in a backlashy kind of way. But trust me, you have a punk rock spirit, if not a punk rock ear." Logan isn't sure but he thinks that's a compliment.

She picks up her guitar and starts recording again. Her soft voice is a relief after whatever punk screaming she'd played for him a moment ago. But he frowns as he listens to her sing,

_I played the powerless_

In too many dark scenes

_And I was blessed with a birth and a death_

_And I guess I just want some say in between_

_Don't you understand_

_In the day to day_

_And the face to face_

_I have to act_

_Just as strong as I can_

_Just to preserve a place_

_Where I can be who I am_

_So if you still know how_

_Talk to me now_

She finishes and winks at him. "I know that you probably don't know any of her other songs. That one, it's not one of Ani DiFranco's more popular ones I don't think, but to me… the first time I heard it, it was like, I knew that I would listen to whatever she had to say to me. I knew that we would understand each other." Logan shifts, unsure what to say, and Nori grins. "It's fine. Consider your primary lesson on 90s feminist music to be concluded. We'll talk about the Indigo Girls next week. Thanks for checking in on me, Logan."

He nods. "Take care, darlin'," he says as he lets himself out of her office. He leaves her sign up and heads down to the gym. He hadn't gotten a real workout this morning. Nori records music all afternoon, and when Remy turns up to insist that she come down to dinner, she doesn't protest. Her fingers are sore, and anyway she missed her fiancé. She stands up for a kiss and follows him downstairs. At dinner they sit with the kids and Nori consents to letting Rogue and Jubilee exclaim over her ring.

"How come you didn't get her a diamond, Mr. LeBeau?" Jubilee asks.

"Because diamonds mining destroys the environment and the lives of those who mine them," Nori says.

"Did you ever see that movie Blood Diamond?" Bobby asks.

"It was really sad," Rogue adds.

"Yeah, but… I mean, engagement rings are supposed to be diamonds," Jubilee says.

"Don't let the media control you, Jubilee," Nori says. "If you get married, do what you want, not what the DeBeers Corporation wants you to do."

Jubilee shrugs, and she and Rogue chat excitedly about dresses and flowers for a while until they notice that Nori isn't chiming in.

"What's wrong, Miss Oyama?" Rogue asks, finally.

"Oh! Nothing. I'm just not really into wedding planning."

"Come on, Miss Oyama, there are some totally fierce wedding dresses out there," Jubilee says.

"Just seems like a waste to spend so much money on a dress I'm only going to wear one time, you know? People spend so, so much money on weddings. Like, as long as I'm there, and Remy's there, that's all that matters."

"Aww, that's so romantic," Jubilee says.

"We still get a cake though, right?" Remy asks.

"Well, obviously," Nori replies, and everyone seems more or less satisfied with that.

NOTE: Songs quoted as "6'1"" by Liz Phair and "Talk to me Now" by Ani DiFranco.


	30. Chapter 30

Soon enough, Nori and Remy's engagement becomes old news at the mansion. Logan was the only one to actually express reservations, though Nori knows that Scott has some, too. But the person whose reaction she's most worried about is pulling up to the mansion in a blue Volkswagen Rabbit. Nori smiles brightly and runs out into the snow to greet her old friend.

"Hey, Rae!" she cries.

Rachael hugs her and says, "Hey, Kiki! Here, carry this."

Nori laughs and takes the stuffed canvas shopping bag. Rachael's agreed to come lead a one-week intensive art class before the spring semester officially starts. Mainly Nori had wanted to arrange it for Piotr, but there were other students with interest in art. Also, she thought it would be good for the students to get a chance to know a somewhat-obvious mutant who lived out in the real world, and Xavier had agreed. She guided Rachael up to a guest room. Remy and Logan were in the gym, which was perfect. She wanted to talk to her old friend without those two around.

Inside, Rachael sheds her overcoat and hat, revealing her grassy green hair. After Rachael gets settled, Nori sits on the bed and says, "So…I have news."

Rachael narrows her eyes almost imperceptibly and says, "Yeah?"

"Well… Remy proposed to me. And I said yes," she says, unable to keep a smile off her face.

"He proposed… marriage?"

"Uh, yeah, that's the one." Rachael frowns, and Nori sighs. "C'mon, you're not even a little bit happy for me?"

"Aw, of course, Kiki, it's just… you always said you'd never get married."

"Well… I hadn't met Remy yet," she says, a little shyly.

"You've changed."

"Of course I've fucking changed, Rachael. I was imprisoned for six months by the Army. I was beaten into a coma and had to re-learn how to read and write. Remy's stuck by me through all of that. We might as well put it on paper, Rae. _Plus_, we're going to have a cake. Did I say that part already?"

Rachael laughs. "All right. Well, I'm glad you're happy."

"Thanks, Rae. I am. I really love the shit out of him. And… look, we haven't really made plans yet, but I think we're just going down to the courthouse and getting the papers signed, and then having a party at the school after. Would you want to be one of our witnesses?"

"Well, of course. Of course."

Nori smiles with relief. "Oh, I'm so glad. It won't be for a while. I'll let you know."

Rachael opens one of her bags and hands Nori a box, wrapped in brown paper that's been hand-stamped with blue snowflakes. "Happy solstice," she says.

"Oh! Your presents are upstairs."

"Well, we can go get them after you open this."

Nori opens the box and finds a tiny bonsai tree, a hand-labeled DVD, two second-hand songbooks and four small tiles, each with a different bird mosaic. "Rae, these are amazing!" she exclaims, examining the tiles. "I didn't know you were into mosaics."

"An experiment. I went to a workshop about it. Thought those turned out pretty good."

Next Nori looks at the songbooks. There's a well-worn copy of _Woody Guthrie Songs_ and a less-used copy of _Civil War Songs and Ballads for Guitar_. "Oh my God, these are so O. G."

"I figured you probably already knew every Guthrie song but the book still looks cool."

Nori flips through them. "There's a couple in here I haven't played. This Civil War book is sick, though. What's the DVD?"

"Read the label."

Nori does: "Karaoke party." She opens it and finds a handwritten list of scenes, accompanied by Rachael's colorful doodles. It's a long list of friends, each with a song next to their name. "Is this what it looks like?"

"Yeah. I mean, you know, Mike has that karaoke machine, and… I don't know, a bunch of us were in town on your birthday, and we all missed you…"

"You didn't tell anybody where I was, did you?"

"No, no. I mean everyone knew I was filming it, but they assumed it was just, you know, for me. Anyway, we just… just sang, and talked some about how we missed you."

Nori's eyes tear up. "I can't wait to watch it. Thanks, Rae."

"I sang Long December for you."

"God, I used to love that song."

"Used to?"

"Fine, still do. Don't hate on the Counting Crows. Come on, let's go upstairs so I can give you your presents!" She carefully puts everything back in the box and carries it upstairs. Rachael trails behind with a duffel bag.

"I brought some more stuff from home that I thought you might still want. When are you coming back to Brooklyn, anyway?"

"Oh, I don't know, Rae. I mean, I'd love to, but… I don't know how safe it would be."

"What, you think somebody in Brooklyn's going to turn you in? I still live there."

"You never appeared on the news side by side with Magneto. Anyway, I don't do great with crowds these days."

Rachael clicks her tongue and falls silent. Nori knows that her friend still remembers her the way she was going on four years ago, before she found out she was a mutant. But she's just not the same person these days, not in a lot of ways. Upstairs she sets her box from Rachael on the desk and hands over a brown paper shopping bag, which she's colored in with Magic Marker rainbow stripes.

Rachael opens it and finds the CD Nori had recorded the previous week, a bag of homemade macaroons, and a heavy wooden bracelet with a lacquered flower design, which Rachael coos over and immediately slips on her wrist.

"I got that at a thrift store in Louisiana. Who would want to get rid of that, right?"

"I don't know, but I'm glad they did," Rachael says. "Wait, when did you go to Louisiana?"

"Over Christmas. I met Remy's brother and sister-in-law. We just got back a couple days ago."

"Oh. How was it?"

"It was okay. A little awkward, at first, but not bad. His sister-in-law's a total trip. I really like her. Hey, come on, I'll show you your classroom."

"Classroom! So crazy."

"I know, right? We're grown-ups. The kids all call me Miss Oyama. How weird is that?"

"You didn't go for Ms.?"

"Well, I tried to get them to call me Nori, but they wouldn't, because I'm a _grown-up_, and by that time the whole Miss thing had already caught on. Hey, should we take these down?" she asks, indicating a stack of canvases.

"Nah, I'll show 'em my work later. I don't want to influence them the first day. So… are you gonna be Mrs. LeBeau?" Rachael asks with a smirk.

"Oh, God, I don't know. I… I kind of do want to change my name. Maybe Ms. LeBeau. I don't know. Oyama-LeBeau is like way too many syllables. And it sounds like a fusion restaurant. Also, I mean, everyone here calls me Nori Oyama but _technically_ Nori Oyama is still a missing-slash-wanted person, and I'm on the payroll here as Midori Watanabe."

"Damn, girl, your life _is_ complicated."

"I know, right?"

"Wait, how are you even going to get married?"

"Technically it will be a marriage between Remy's alternative identity and my alternative identity. Hey, maybe our reception can be like a masquerade ball or something. Anyway, here's the art room. As of yesterday, anyway." Nori and Remy had gone out to buy easels, canvas, and paint, following Rachael's specifications as closely as possible. "Is this stuff good?" she asks, anxiously.

Rachael wanders about the room examining everything. "Yeah, wow, looks great."

"There's a projector here, and a screen, so you can plug your laptop into this thing," Nori says. "Oh, man, the kids are going to be so excited. And Piotr is so talented. Wait until you meet him. You ready for lunch?"

"Yeah, let's go."

They pass through the food line and Nori leads Rachael to a seat amidst the students. "Hey guys, do you all remember my friend Rachael Shapiro? She came to visit last semester."

The teens wave and introduce themselves. Nori senses Remy enter the dining hall, but her table is full. She sends him a quick mental wink and feels his steady mental warmth in return.

Jubilee asks, "Um, Miss Shapiro, is your hair really green, or do you dye it?"

"I'd prefer _Ms._ Shapiro. And yep, it is." Rachael says. "It's more like grass than hair."

"She can make it grow whenever she wants. It's totally awesome," Nori says proudly.

"So if you get a bad haircut, you can bounce right back, huh?" Jubilee asks.

"It's a perk," says Rachael.

After lunch, Rachael takes her little group of students back to the impromptu art room. Logan finds Nori in her office and says, "Nori, you coming down to the Danger Room?"

"Aw, eff," she says. "Are we starting that again?"

"Yeah."

"All right. Let me go change."

"See ya down there in ten, darlin'."

In the Danger Room, Nori evades her virtual attackers with… well, not aplomb, but she doesn't cry. Logan nods approvingly.

"Not bad, Echo."

She catches her breath. "Thanks, Wolverine." She can't quite keep a smirk off her face when she says the name, and he shakes his head.

Afterward, she looks at the clock. Remy's still teaching gym for another hour, and Rae's probably ranting at the kids about color. She heads down to her office and starts experimenting with her new Civil War songbook. Remy turns up when she's picking through "Go Down, Moses." He stands in the doorway watching her until she finishes the song and smiles up at him.

"Hey, love, how's your day going?"

"Better, now," he says, with that slow grin of his.

"Come look," she says. "Rae brought me this Civil War songbook." He comes to sit on her office's couch, and she joins him, toting the book.

"Didn't know you were into that."

"I never really listened to it, I guess! But I am always interested in the way people use music to create shared experiences. And I mean some of these songs were still popular in the protests movements of the 60s. Pretty cool, right?" Remy smiles at her enthusiasm and she says, "Oh, man, I just called a Civil War songbook cool. Whatever, though, it _is_ cool."

"How is Miss Rachael doing?"

"Oh, she's good. I hope her class is going well. I told her we were engaged and she didn't totally lose her shit, so, yeah."

He wraps his arm around her. "Good."

"I mean, not that we need her approval. But it's nice to have it. We've been friends for so long and I know the last few years have been hard for her."

"And they haven't been hard for _you, cherie_?"

"Well, yeah. But to her…I mean… it's different. She's only getting bits and pieces of my story and it's strange for her. I'm glad she's staying here for a week. I think it will be good for her to get some sense of what the school is really like. Speaking of, maybe I should go check on her. I think her class was supposed to end around now."

Remy follows her downstairs and they slip in Rachael's classroom. There's a slide up on the screen of a Piet Mondrian painting, and the kids are all experimenting with bright, abstract art. Rachael, dressed in leggings and a large paint-spattered men's shirt, paces around; occasionally exclaiming dramatically, "Oh! I love it!", occasionally offering a less-enthusiastic "Hmm."

Nori and Remy stand in the doorway until Rachael notices them, and Nori beckons her over. "Hey, Rae, it's almost four. You can let them go if you want. How's it going?"

"It's pretty cool," Rachael says. She turns to the class. "Hey, it's like four, you guys can go if you want, but I'll stick around if you want to stay. Make sure to clean your brushes if you leave."

Half the students make toward the sinks, but the other half—Piotr among them—stays at their easels.

"Cool, well, we'll let you get your art on. Do you need anything?" Nori asks.

"Think I'm good."

"Then, we'll see you at dinner? Or we'll probably just be in the living room or our bedroom if you get done before that."

"Sounds good," Rachael says, distractedly. Nori smiles up at Remy and they slip back out into the hallway.

"Did she go to school for art, too?" Remy asks.

"She took a couple studio art classes in college, but her degree's in jazz piano. She's gone to some workshops and stuff since. She just likes it. And she's good."

"She always paint so abstract?"

"No, I think she's trying to teach the kids about color and stuff first. Her stuff's more like… well, you know, she did that crow painting that's in our room."

"Hmm," Remy says, noncommittally.

They've made their way to the living room and are sharing an oversized chair. "What kinda art do you like?"

"Expensive." Nori laughs, and Remy elaborates. "Guess mainly I like older art. Romantics, Neo-Classics, that kinda thing. Bunch of colored squares… I mean, I know some people'd pay a pretty penny for that, but it just don't feel like art to me."

"That's fair."

"I like… when I look at a painting, I like to think. 'Damn, how did they do that?' You know? I look at a bunch of squares, I think… I could do that."

"Well, then, you should get in on Rae's class!"

"Nah. I'll leave that to the real artists."

"Any art is real art, if it's honest."

"Your old boyfriend, he was an artist, wasn't he?"

"Yeah. But don't be like him, though."

"What kind of art did he do?"

"He was into photorealism. He did this awful painting of me. I mean, it was a good painting, but it was of me picking at my nails and looking way sad and frazzled. And then he put it in a show, so there were all these hipsters walking around looking at a giant, photorealistic painting of me having a bad day."

"You look beautiful even when you're sad, _ma mie_."

She sighs. "You're so good for my self-esteem, Remy."

He laughs and snakes his hand over to squeeze her knee. "You want me to go pinch that painting for you? I'm sure I could get it, easy."

"Aw, thanks! But he never sold it. I guess I don't mind if he has it in his studio somewhere. Just promise me that if you ever paint an unflattering portrait of me that it will be smaller than six feet by eight feet."

"That is a promise I can keep."

Rogue and Bobby come into the living room, and they both look a little jealous upon seeing Remy and Nori's physical closeness.

"Hey, Rogue, how was art class?" Nori asks.

"Pretty good, I guess. I'm not that good at it."

"Aw, I'm sure you're great, _petite_." Remy feels almost as protective of Rogue as Logan does—Southerners in New York have to watch out for one another.

"Don't let Rachael get you down, Rogue. She's a good artist but she doesn't know everything," Nori says. "Did you _like_ painting?"

"Well, yeah. It's fun."

"Good!" Nori says, and her empathy glows with happiness.

"Miss Oyama? Do you know if we're going to learn how to paint, you know, things? I mean the squares are cool and all, but…"

"Honestly, I don't know what she has planned for the class. But I do know that her art is a little more representational than Pollack and Mondrian. What kinda thing do you want to paint?"

"Like, you know, fruit or something?"

Remy nods in satisfaction. "Something that looks like something," he says, "That's what art should be."

"No," Nori says, vehemently. "Art should be whatever helps you make sense of the world. Remy, when you shuffle cards, that's art. When I play a bunch of cowboy chords and whine about my therapist, that's art. And Rogue, if you paint a bunch of squares and you feel even the slightest spark of joy or sorrow or _something_, then that's art."

"I think, like, museums have stricter guidelines than that, Miss Oyama," Bobby says.

"Museums represent the establishment and they are, by nature, hesitant to change. But anyway," Nori says impishly, "I didn't say it would be _good_ art. I just said it would be _art_." Rogue blushes, and Nori adds, "I mean, I haven't seen your painting. I'm not saying it's bad. But I'm saying at this stage in the game, especially, it doesn't _matter_ if it's bad."

"Hmm," Rogue says noncommittally. "I don't think I really want to be an artist, though. I just want to make, like, one nice painting."

"Well, that's fine, too," Nori says. "The important thing is that you can express yourself."

"Uh, right," Rogue says, fidgeting with her gloves. Miss Oyama can be a little too hippie-dippie for Rogue's taste sometimes.

"Well, _petite_, what did you paint?" Remy asks. "Green squares? Red squares? Orange squares?"

"I didn't do squares, exactly. Ms. Shapiro said we didn't have to do squares. It was just an example that she had up. She talked about how Mondrian started off thinking about windmills and then tried to paint the most fundamental pieces of a windmill. But I don't know, it doesn't really look like a windmill to me, you know? I don't know. Um, so, I tried to think about a tree. In its most fundamental form," she repeats, the phrase obviously foreign to her. "I don't know if it's any good or not," she adds.

"Sounds like a perfect idea, _petite_. Plenty of trees around here, but not too many windmills, _oui?_"

Rogue nods. She opens her mouth to speak when Rachael comes slinking into the living room, wearing gray wool tights and a bright green sweater dress.

"Hey, Rae, great dress. Matches your hair," Nori says.

"Why, thank you," Rachael says, preening a little. "Hey, Rogue, and… Rogue's friend…"

"I'm Bobby Drake," he says, extending his hand. "I'm her boyfriend. We met at lunch."

"Sorry dude, I'm not great with names. But, good for you," Rachael says, shaking his hand. "I'm Rachael Shapiro. Rogue, how come your boyfriend didn't sign up for art class?"

"Um," Rogue says.

"It's not really my thing," Bobby says. "And it's not like we have to do everything together."

"Indeed," Rachael says with a nod.

"Hey, Miss Shapiro?" Bobby asks.

Rachael shakes her head. "Ms. Shapiro, if you don't mind."

"Sorry, um, Ms. Shapiro, you've been friends with Miss Oyama for a long time, right?"

"Since college."

"So, I bet you have a lot of good stories you could tell us, right?" he asks.

"Rachael, before you answer that question, remember that we're in a school," Nori says, and Remy snorts.

"Of course, of course," Rachael says, and Rogue and Bobby's eyes light up at the hint of potential gossip. "Well…" she trails off, trying to think of a story that's both somewhat school-appropriate, yet still interesting. She ends up telling a story about Nori getting kicked out of a college talent show for throwing plastic Easter eggs at the audience.

"It was _performance art_," Nori grumbles. The kids laugh, dutifully, though they were hoping for a juicier story. Rachael provides a few, punctuated by occasional indignant comments from Nori, and then other students file in to watch The Simpsons.

After dinner, Nori and Rachael play a few songs for the students, but mostly for each other. Nori radiates contentment, and when they finish, she, Rachael, Remy, and Logan linger in the living room and chat.

"I miss playing with you, Kiki."

"I know, I miss it too."

"Maybe you could do a show with me in New York some time," Rachael says, wistfully. "Just somewhere small."

Simultaneously Logan asks, "You crazy?" and Nori shakes her head softly and says "Don't think that's a good idea." Remy squeezes her hand.

"Nori, are they brainwashing you here or something? Why are you so afraid to leave the house?"

"No, Rae, they're not. If I went up on a stage and performed, I mean… it would put myself in danger, it would put you in danger, it would put everyone at the club in danger. It isn't a responsible idea."

"What are you so afraid of?"

"Rachael. Don't you remember? Don't you remember how I was held prisoner by the U.S. Army? And the Friends of Humanity?"

"Only because you were with Magneto."

"No, Rae, I was on their list even before I got in with Magneto. But, yes, I'm still on FBI lists because of my involvement with Magneto," she says levelly. "And I'm sure the FOH would happily kidnap me again if they got the chance, even though I'm not with Magneto any more."

Rachael glances around the room. Nori still has her arms crossed and she's looking down at the floor, dangerously close to checking out of the conversation completely. Remy is looking at her with concern. He leans in and whispers something in her ear, and she nods. Logan is looking at Rachael with hostility.

"All right," Rachael says. "I'm sorry. I just wish… things could be different."

"Desire causes suffering," Nori says, gently.

"Yeah," Rachael says. "Hey. Do you think… maybe you could produce my next album, though? No one else would have to see you."

"Yeah. Maybe. I'd like to," Nori says.

"What exactly does that mean?" Remy asks.

"Can mean a lot of things. Rae and I used to co-produce each other's albums. In… in our case it's mostly about lending another ear to the process. Suggesting a different arrangement, checking the mix levels, just, like, whatever. For somebody like Katy Perry, her producer does way more. Like picking the songs, arranging them, picking the studio musicians, picking the studio…"

"… Finding a vocal coach for her," Rachael adds, and she and Nori both giggle. "What about you? Are you thinking about recording anything soon?"

"Ah… I don't know."

"We could just put it up online or something."

"I mean… I just haven't written anything in a long time," Nori says, shaking her foot anxiously.

"You write like, compulsively."

"Not any more I don't."

"Oh. God. You mean, because of what happened? To your head?"

"Because of what the FOH _did to her_," Logan says.

Nori shakes her head. "I don't know. Maybe. I mean, I can _write_, like, a letter. But I haven't had any ideas for songs since I was… injured. I tried arranging some of the rough stuff that was on my laptop, and that went okay. But I haven't written so much as a chorus."

"Oh my God," Rachael says.

"It's okay. I have other stuff on my plate, y'know? Something will come to me, or it won't."

"God, I'm such an ass," Rachael says. Logan snorts.

Nori gives an easy smile and says, "S'fine, Rae. I know… a few years ago I would have been really upset about not being able to write. But it just seems less important now. I've been arranging stuff for my classes. I stay busy. I'm just trying to live in the present, you know? Just let it be, Rachael."

Rachael nods, hesitantly. "Yeah. Okay. But… is there anything I can do? To help?"

"Oh, you already have," Nori says. "Hey. God. Let's play cards or something."

"Don't have to ask me twice, _cher_," Remy says. Nori glances at Logan and Rachael, who both nod. They draw themselves closer around one of the coffee tables and Remy shuffles.

"Let's play euchre," Nori says. "Not poker." Remy rolls his eyes but everyone agrees. Nori smiles beatifically and says, "You guys are my _favorites_." The four play cards and chat. Nori works hard to keep the conversation civil, with moderate success. Remy's charming as ever and happy to play nice. But Rachael and Logan simply cannot see eye to eye. Nori wonders how well she would have gotten along with Logan if she'd met him four years ago, and concludes that it might not have gone so well. She breathes in and out and tries hard just to enjoy being around a table with three of her favorite people, who, for her sake at least, will not kill each other tonight.

PS If you are not familiar with the name Piet Mondrian, you've probably seen his art around. Here is an example of one of his compositions. www. artchive .com/artchive/M/mondrian/mondrian_composition_ .html

His earlier stuff is less abstract and also cool, but those grid compositions are what he is best known for. Art! It's what's for dinner.


	31. Chapter 31

The next morning, Nori keeps her standing weekly appointment with Xavier and asks Remy to keep an eye on Rachael, whose class is only in the afternoon.

"That girl can keep an eye on herself," Remy says.

"Oh, I know, I know. Just, you know... be your charming self," she says, pulling his face down for a gentle kiss. "Don't let her get lost."

As always, Nori gives a completely unnecessary knock on Xavier's door, and he calls out, "Come in, Nori." As always, he already has the Scrabble board set out.

She smiles and says, "Good morning, Professor. How are you?"

"Fine, thank you," he replies, shaking the tile bag. "How are you, Noriko?"

She picks her letters and says, "Pretty well. I'm happy to see Rachael, but it's a little stressful."

"Why is it stressful?" Xavier asks. Of course, he has a good idea, but the point of these sessions is to give Nori a chance to talk.

"Well, it's a constant reminder of my old life, you know, before Stryker and everything. Which, I like it here, but, you know, I really loved being a musician."

"You still are a musician."

"That's true. I mean, a performer. Anyway. It's stressful, too, because she doesn't really like Remy." She frowns as she lays down the word CORN. Xavier nods and records her score. Fourteen points.

"Well, how do you feel about Remy?"

"I love him, of course. But I can understand why Rae is... hesitant about him. He's, you know, different from the people I used to date. He's, um, a criminal. But so am I, now, I guess. And he's such a shameless flirt," she says with a smile. Xavier puts down CLARITY and Nori raises her eyebrows. She has never once won a game of Scrabble against Charles Xavier, and she doubts she ever will.

"Come, Nori, you play very well. I simply have more experience, and you are still recovering from your brain injury."

"You know I didn't say that part out loud, right?"

"My apologies."

She shrugs. "I know how it goes."

"Have you been having trouble keeping your telepathy under control lately?"

"Not really. It was hard, in New Orleans."

"There were a lot of... other factors."

"Yeah."

"How did it feel to meet Remy's ex-wife?"

"Well, when I met her, she was still his wife," Nori says, laying down YAM. "And... it was hard, for both of us. Well, all three of us. I felt a little insecure. She's a lot prettier than me. And, you know, deadly. But when I talked to her... I felt sad. She's basically been pining after Remy since the day after their wedding."

Xavier nods. "But Remy chose you."

"Yes."

"And how do you feel about that?"

"A little guilty. But... uh... good. I mean, I know... someone like Remy has choices. It feels good that he chose me."

"Oh? And someone like you doesn't have choices?"

"You know what I mean, Professor." Nori blushes. "He's super attractive and charming. He could have any girl. And I'm not trying to be down on myself. I know I'm pretty and friendly. But I am, you know, kind of difficult to spend time with. On account of all the crying."

Xavier shakes his head. "You know, Nori, not that it's a competition, but I think many people would prefer your company to Remy's. He may be charming, but it takes persistence to really connect to him. You've done that, in a way that I think few people have."

"Yeah. I mean, we've been through so much together. And it isn't that I don't trust Remy. I don't think he would cheat on me, or anything. I mean, God knows he's had plenty of chances to walk out on me. But I do wonder how things will be between us if we're just, you know, just high school teachers. Without getting held hostage or whatever."

Xavier laughs ruefully and sets down REACH. "Well, so long as you continue to work with the X-Men, I rather doubt that you two will ever be _just_ high school teachers. But it is true that it's different maintaining a long-term relationship—a marriage—when your day-to-day life is mundane. But I see no reason why you and Remy would be unable to carry on your relationship here at the school. Do you?"

Nori fingers her letter tiles for a long time. "No. But Rachael's right—I have made some really terrible relationship choices in the past. It makes it hard to feel too confident about this one, even though I love him, and I know he loves me."

"You are a different person than you were in the past. And so is Remy. Your friend Rachael should accept that you are no longer the woman you were. And that is a normal response to all the experiences you've had."

"Yeah," Nori says, idly wondering if she can play another food word. She studies her tiles and decides she cannot, so she settles for playing MANY. "No, I mean, I have definitely changed. Which is okay. I mean, I'm getting better about my anxiety and my, um, everything. The bad changes. But I like my life here. I like being with Remy. He's so... centered."

Xavier gives a gentle smile, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with her assessment of Remy. They keep playing and talking until Xavier beats Nori, 453 to 210.

Meanwhile, Remy and Rachael are sitting in Ororo's greenhouse and talking. After breakfast, Remy had found Rachael there and given her his most charming smile, but before he could say anything, she'd said, "Cut the crap, LeBeau. You might have won over Nori, but I'm not that into smarmy dudes."

Remy'd raised his eyebrows and said, "Look, Rachael, I get that I am not on your good side. That's fine. Plenty o'people don't like me. But the fact is, Nori likes me. And she likes you. And on a personal level, I would not care if you had a problem with me. But I know it makes Nori sad, and I hate that. So maybe this morning you and I could just talk and maybe you can get to know me a little better. And if you still don't like me, well, you can tell Nori you tried and you still think I am awful."

Rachael had sighed and said, "All right."

"Good. Why don't you start off by telling Remy everything you don't like about him? Just get it all off your chest."

"You sure about that?"

"_Oui_. I have heard worse."

"Well. For starters, that third-person thing is way annoying. The pet names are annoying. I hate the way you talk about Nori like you own her. You're a criminal, and a killer. And I just don't trust you."

Remy nods, once. "That all?"

Rachael laughs. "Guess so."

"All right. Well, about the way I talk... that seems awful petty to me. I talk the way I was raised. You talk like you swallowed _Ms_. magazine and I got no problem with that. In terms of the way I talk about Nori... I don't own her. But we are a pair. We take care of each other. She is the person I think about first, and most. And she don't seem to mind it if I call her my girl. I'm hers, too. Just the way it is, y'know?"

Rachael shrugs.

"As to your last two points, well, I cannot deny them. I have stolen. I have killed. I grew up on the streets of N'awlins. I was taken in by the T'ieves Guild. That was the path I found through life. All I can tell you is that I played the hand I was dealt the best I could, and that Nori knows who I am. I don't think she has any illusions about me. And she loves me anyway," he says, sounding almost humble. "I know you care about her. But I do, too. Don't forget that." He meets her gaze for a moment before asking, "Do you have any other questions for me?"

"You—you really want to marry her?"

He looks at her gravely. "I really do. I want to be with her as long as she'll have me. And I want it on paper."

Rachael sighs. "I'm sorry, Remy. I just... if I could have picked out somebody to marry my best friend, it wouldn't be... wouldn't be somebody who fought with Magneto."

"Don't forget, Rachael, your best friend fought with Magneto, too."

Rachael crosses her arms. "That wasn't her fault."

Remy shakes his head. "She wouldn't thank you for patronizing her. She believed in Magneto's cause. I did too. She ain't helpless."

"I... you're right. Remy. I'm sorry."

"S'all right. Had to go through this whole thing with Xavier, and Logan too."

Rachael snorts. "Logan? What's he care?"

"Logan's got a bit of a protective streak in him," Remy says, chuckling.

"Hmm. Well. I guess I'm glad he's on her side."

"You'n me both."

"He's not—not in love with her, is he?"

"No," Remy says, but he doesn't elaborate. Rachael narrows her eyes and nods. Remy continues,"So, what d'you think, Rachael? Am I Nori's worst boyfriend?"

"Oh, no, far from it. Just...look, if you hurt her, I will strangle you with my hair."

Remy grins. "You can do that?"

Rachael concentrates and her hair waves.

"Nice trick, _cher_."

"Uh-uh. I still don't like you enough for that _cher_ business."

"_Desole_. Well, Rachael, if I do hurt Nori you are probably going to have to fight your way past a few other people before you even get a chance at me with that hair of yours. But you will be welcome to try." They regard each other for a moment. "Rachael, you like to play pool?"

"Yeah. I do."

"Shall we?"

"Oh, why not? You don't have class or anything?"

"Regular classes don't start 'til next week," Remy says, and he leads her to the rec room. Like Nori, Rachael is a better pool player than Remy would expect, but she's not as good as Nori. They're a few games in when Nori slips into the rec room.

"Hello, you two!" she says. She hugs them both in turn. "Who's winning?"

"Remy," Rachael says.

"She's good, though," Remy says. "I just don't think she's spent quite as much time in bars as I have."

"Yeah, Rae's classy. She plays music in the kinds of jazz clubs and piano bars that don't have pool tables."

Rachael snorts. "Nori Oyama, when was the last time you played anywhere that had a pool table?"

Nori pauses. "Okay, it was a while ago. But in my early years I played in a _lot_ of dive bars." Telepathically, she tells Remy, _I'm so glad you're getting along_. He gives her a cat-who-ate-the-canary grin and her face takes on a dreamy look.

Rachael's observing closely. "God. You guys are sickeningly cute."

Nori bats her eyelashes. "Who, us?"

Rachael shakes her head, but she looks friendlier than Remy's ever seen her look.

"Did you guys have a fun morning?"

"What does it look like?" Remy asks, with a pleasant tone.

Rachael shakes her head. "I was a total bitch to him for like an hour."

"Well, what's new about that?" Nori asks with a laugh.

"He was very gracious about it," Rachael continues. "Just so you know."

"Doesn't surprise me a bit." Nori's empathy is sending out blissful vibes. "So happy to see my two favorite people getting along."

"I am extremely easy to get along with, _cher_."

"Hey. Yeah. Me too," Rachael says.

Nori grins. "Of course you are," she says warmly. "May I join you next game?"

"Sure," Rachael says. "Why don't we just start over? I'm losing anyway."

"_Non_, it is bad luck to restart a game of pool," Remy says.

"Is that a real superstition or did you make it up?" Nori asks.

"I am offended," Remy says, taking his shot. Nori makes an amused face at Rachael as Remy cleans up the table. "All right, _cher_, now you can grab a cue." She laughs and does so. They play until lunch, and when they walk downstairs Nori telepathically asks Remy, _Hey, do you think you can charm Logan and Rachael into getting along?_

_I'm good, but not that good,_ he replies.

_Ah, well, guess I shouldn't get greedy._

At lunch, Hank and Rachael debate the meaning of art. Nori and Remy sit and watch. Nori occasionally chimes in verbally, but mostly she and Remy keep a telepathic running commentary while trying to keep a straight face.

Afterward, Rachael departs for her class and Nori and Remy sit in the living room and giggle.

"Oh, my gosh, I'm such a mean girl," Nori says.

"_Non_, _cher_, you are a very nice girl."

"I mean Mean Girl in the Lindsay Lohan sense."

"I have no idea what that means."

"Means I'm using telepathy—which my best friend doesn't even know I have-to make fun of her. Not cool. But... admittedly pretty fun."

"You ever going to tell her? About the telepathy and all?"

"Oh, God, I don't know. I should. She's going to find out. But I didn't want her to tweak out. Ugh. I should tell her."

He shrugs. "Maybe the less she knows, the better."

"That's true. I mean, I'm not going to tell her anything about, you know, the X-Men. Life's so complicated!"

"You want to see if there is any reality television on?"

She sighs, happily. "You know me so well." Remy turns on the TV and flips through the channels until they land on Top Chef. They watch for a few minutes, but the chefs are all working with lamb and Remy keeps going until he finds an episode of Pawn Stars.

"Better," Nori says. "Thanks."

"Not a problem. I'd rather eat than watch people cook, anyway."

"And you wouldn't rather pawn something than watch people pawn it?"

Remy snorts. "Pawn shops are for amateurs."

She relaxes against him and he provides a running commentary on which items are valuable and which ones are not. Often his opinions vary wildly from those provided by Rick and the other so-called pawn stars.

"This is how I feel when we watch American Idol," she says.

"Or Glee."

"That show is out of control, Remy," she says vehemently. "I don't even want to talk about it. Tell me more about jewel thievery." He's happy to oblige, and Nori doesn't mind at all if she's already heard the stories. She loves Remy's voice, his accent, his unhurried cadence. Some of the kids slip into the living room and, seeing the fare, slip back out.

"Hey," Nori calls, "This show is entertaining _and_ educational!"

"Sorry, Miss Oyama, I think we're going to play Wii," Warren says.

"Oh, fine. See you guys later." _Not that I mind being alone with you, love_, she thinks, and Remy squeezes her knee. They spend hours watching reality TV. Remy briefly considers going down to the gym, and Nori briefly considers playing music, but ultimately they decide to just take advantage of the lazy winter afternoon until Rachael's art class lets out. Then Rachael comes out and gently scoffs at their television choice, and Remy goes downstairs to burn off some energy. Nori redirects Rachael's attention to the piano and they improvise a long, labyrinthine piece until dinner.

After dinner, they play a few songs together, and Remy and Logan slip out to Harry's for a drink. Remy catches Nori's eye and they have a quick telepathic discussion about it.

_Go, love, you probably need a drink after spending all morning with Rachael._

_Nah, me and Logan are going to try to pick up some loose women._

_Just use protection if you're going to sleep around_, she thinks, without losing any control over the delicate violin piece she's playing.

Remy blows her a kiss as he slips out of the room.

At Harry's, he and Logan get a pitcher and Logan says, "So. Heard you spent all morning with Rachael."

Remy shrugs. "It wasn't so bad. She's bitchy, but she means well. Not good at pool, though."

"I just bet," Logan says.

"Nori told me that Rachael's used to looking after her in the real world, but she left the real world a few years back."

"This _is_ the real world, bub. Greenzo don't understand that."

Remy purses his lips. "Don't know, Logan, livin' in a big mansion with a real shiny basement don't seem like the real world to me."

"You know what I mean. That girl don't know that a war's coming."

"I think she'll figure it out pretty soon."

"If seeing what's happened to Nori doesn't convince her, don't know what will."

Remy shakes his head. "She's seeing her now. She ain't seen her the way we have, y'know?"

"Still. How hard does she have to get hit over the head before she gets it?" Logan blinks. "Not, y'know, literally."

"I hear you." Remy takes a long sip. "She's just tryin' to look out for Nori, though, and I can't fault her for that. She ain't the only one who had doubts about me, if I recall." Logan grunts, and Remy adds, "I can't really fault her for having her doubts about you, either, y'know? At first glance, you ain't exactly Mr. Congeniality."

Logan shrugs, and Remy continues chatting. When he and Logan spend time together, Remy always talks approximately four times as much as Logan does. Generally, neither of them minds this ratio. "Y'know," Remy says, "When Nori was younger, she tried to kill herself. Rachael was the one who found her, the one who took her to the hospital. Nori says Rachael took care of her, after."

"Huh," Logan says. "Well. So... what, she thinks Nori owes her?"

"_Non, non_, I don't think that's it, exactly, but I think that is why Rachael is so protective."

"Hmm." Remy taps his fingers on the bar, to Logan's irritation. "So," Logan says, "You wanna shoot some pool?"

"_Oui_, _mon ami_." They drink and play for a few hours, but return to the mansion by 10 pm. Remy doesn't want Nori to wait up, and Logan doesn't mind leaving the bar early. He just likes to get out of the house once in a while.

When they get back to the mansion, Nori and Rachael are still playing, though their audience has disappeared. They're playing for each other, laughing and showing off with tricky riffs and phrases. Remy beams, feeling her empathy shining so brightly. He hangs around to listen, though Logan disappears.

Finally, the women stop playing and Nori stands up to embrace Remy. "How was Harry's, love?"

"Same as it ever was. Were you two playing this whole time?"

"Nah, we stopped a while ago so the kids could watch TV. We just started again maybe half an hour ago," Nori says.

"Don't stop on my account," Remy says. "I love watching you play. And you too, Rachael."

"We-ell, maybe one more song," Nori says. "What'd you say, Rae?"

"Of course, of course. Hmm..." Nori picks up her guitar and begins picking a tune. Rachael grins and joins in, saying, "What a dykey pick, Kiki."

Nori shrugs and says, "Indigo Girls _for life_." She nods and they start singing,

_I had guards like watchdogs_

_Dogs in a manger_

_I could feel the protection, possession and anger_

_And I drove out of there with no one behind me_

_Feeling funny and free_

The two women harmonize sweetly and Remy smiles throughout their performance. When they finish, he applauds and says, "God, I'm lucky. My own private concert."

Nori winks and says, "I could get you a backstage pass if you want."

Rachael groans and says, "Get a _room_."

"We have one," Nori says. "It's very nice." She looks like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth, and Remy gives her a slow grin.

"Ugh, get out of here and go bone," Rachael says.

"Good night, Rachael," Nori says, sing-songily.

"_Bonsoir_," Remy says, with a slight incline of his head. They grin as they walk upstairs.

The rest of Rachael's visit passes smoothly. She and Logan never really see eye-to-eye, but he doesn't stab her. The kids learn something about art, and a few of them learn some good stories about Miss Oyama. Rachael and Remy get along the whole week, though they still wouldn't call each other friends, exactly. Saturday morning, Nori bundles up and stands waving in the driveway until Rachael's out of sight. Then she goes inside, takes off her peacoat, and collapses on the couch in her bedroom. Remy, still lying in bed, props himself up on his elbows and grins at her. "Tired, _cherie_?"

"Just... it's been a bit of an exhausting week. You know."

"I do. But you were happy to see Rachael, _non_?"

"Of course! But a week... is a long time."

Remy slinks out of bed and sits next to her on the couch. He rubs her shoulders and she smiles. "You were great, Remy. Thank you."

"Ain't no trouble, _cherie_. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine, you know that. I'm glad she came here."

"Me too. But it really just..." she bites her lip. "This is home, now, isn't it? There's nowhere else for us."

He tightens his arm around her. "Where else do you wanna go?"

"Oh, nowhere, I guess. It's just—we couldn't, really, could we?"

"If we ever needed to leave, we'd find a way, a place. Maybe go live on top of a mountain."

"Okay. We could do that. We could make s'mores."

"Plus," he murmurs, "If there weren't any other people around, you wouldn't need to wear so many clothes."

She snorts. "If we lived on top of a mountain I'd wear a parka all the time."

"Maybe a hill. We'll live on top of a hill."

"Okay," she says, leaning up to kiss his throat. "I'm glad we have a plan."

"That's Plan B, now. I think Plan A has a lot of life left." He bends down and kisses her lips.

"Plan A is great," she says before kissing him back.

"_Cherie_, seeing as we aren't up a mountain, you are wearing entirely too much clothing."

She squirms under his hands and he pulls her sweater over her head.

"Better?"

"Getting there," he murmurs, taking a moment to appreciate her in her camisole and jeans. She pulls herself up on his lap and presses her body tightly against him, knowing that the ever-tactile Remy loves the feel of her silky top against him. "Mm," he says, snaking a hand out to pull her tighter while the other slides under her shirt. She sighs and wriggles slightly on his lap. He helps her out of her jeans and they end up fucking on the couch.

Afterward she sprawls out on top of him, head on his chest, and smiles while he idly fingers the lace trim on the bottom of her camisole. She's never been with someone who made her feel so desired, so desirable—though she's sure it doesn't hurt that she's mostly off of psychotropic medications these days. Her empathy sends Remy a gentle fix of contentment and love as she says, "Not a bad week, love. You ready for school to start again?"

Remy sighs. "It's still Plan A, _cherie,_ so I guess I'd better be."

"Come on. You know you love getting paid to play basketball with kids."

"Not as good as getting paid to steal things, but it ain't a bad life."

"Not bad at all."

NOTE: The song quoted is Reunion by the Indigo Girls.


	32. Chapter 32

On Monday, the spring semester starts up in full swing. The oldest students wait anxiously to hear back from colleges, and Nori finds their stress nearly unbearable. She starts teaching an evening yoga class, which becomes fairly popular. A lot of the students roll their eyes when she encourages them to "feel the support of the Earth" and "let energy shine out through the tips of their fingers," but after training with Logan and Remy in the Danger Room, they can't argue with the relaxation Nori's techniques provide their aching muscles.

Logan comes to watch a class one evening, and Nori mentally warns him, _Hey, if you're in this room, you have to participate._ He glowers at her, and aloud, she says, "Remember, guys, there's never any shame in using modified poses if you can't reach the full extension. Listen to your body. Take this time to think about whatever is causing you stress, and let it just wash right out of you."

_I don't care if you have metal bones, _she privately tells Logan, _get in child's pose or get out of here. It's going to weird out the kids if you just stand there and watch. _He sighs and kneels on the ground at the very back of the room, stretching his arms out in front of him.

Nori smiles and guides the class through a gentle restorative flow, using her empathy to encourage and relax her students. Forty-five minutes later, everyone in class is lying flat on their backs in savasana, completely blissed out. After she rouses the class and sends them on their way, Logan lingers. "Well?" she asks.

"You don't play fair, using your power like that in class."

She smiles beatifically. "You use yours in the Danger Room. I use mine here. Do you want me to raise your stress levels back up?"

"You can do that?"

"Well, probably. I've been practicing some with Scott and Xavier. It's like, not my favorite thing to do, though."

Logan nods, knowing she usually prefers not to share her negative emotions. "Could come in handy, I guess."

"Yeah, you know, there's been plenty of times when I wished I could make someone feel slightly nervous.I'm sure you can relate."

"I usually make people feel more'n slightly nervous."

"I suppose you do." She tucks a stray piece of hair behind her ear before saying, "You know, you're welcome in my class any time you'd like."

"Well, thanks, darlin'. Ain't my usual cup of tea, but...but it was kind of nice."

"Yes. I used to put that on my business cards. 'Kind of nice yoga classes'," she says impishly.

He snorts. "Think it's safe to say that's nicer than anything you've ever said about one of my classes."

She blushes. "Oh, Logan, you know I appreciate everything you've taught me. You really are a good teacher."

He shrugs. "I'm going out for a smoke. You wanna come?"

"No, thanks."

"I forgot. You're tryin' to quit?"

"Yeah. Mostly. I'd better steer clear of temptation." She closes her eyes for a second and says, "Remy's in our room. He'd probably go with you if you want company."

Logan nods and they part ways. Logan heads straight outside, apparently not interested in seeking Remy's company. Nori heads upstairs and is quite interested in Remy's company.

When spring break rolls around, Nori and Remy take a mini-vacation and spend a few days up in the Adirondacks. Remy knows that Nori likes camping, but he absolutely does not understand the point of sleeping on the ground if you can possibly afford not to, and they make a reservation at a rustic, yet upscale lodge. They're there mid-week, and it's not high tourist season, so they hardly see anyone else out and New York had not gotten the memo about spring break, and there's snow on the ground when they arrive.

Nori loves the peace and quiet, though she can't quite shake the fear that something is going to go wrong on their vacation.

Remy knows she's tense, and reassures her. "C'mon, Nori, don't be nervous. Who d'you think is going to bother us all the way up in the middle of nowhere?"

She hesitates. "Sinister could teleport here."

"He could teleport just about anywhere, so why borrow worry?"

"Yeah. Okay. You're right."

"You want to rent some snowshoes, _cher_?"

This, she knows, is the true sign that Remy loves her-he's offering to go out in the snow with her.

"Yeah!" she says. She'd mentioned in passing that she always though snowshoes looked cool. So they bundle up and drive over to the Heart Lake visitors center, which directs them to a nearby store. They get fitted for snowshoes by a friendly young man with a weather-beaten face that makes him look older than he sounds. He asks if they've ever gone snowshoeing before and they both say "no."

"Well, dudes, make sure to take it easy out there. Easy to get tired out. And make sure you get back in before nightfall. Make sure to bring water, and like, matches. Survival stuff. Oh, and the shoes are due back by this time tomorrow."

Remy thanks the man and pays for their shoes, and then they make their way to the can see tracks left behind by others, but they don't run into anyone. It takes some time to get used to the shoes, but they're both graceful and athletic by nature, and they get by.

After perhaps thirty minutes, Nori says, "This is okay, I guess."

"You getting cold?"

"No, just... this is kind of boring," she admits.

Remy laughs. "I cannot disagree."

"Should we keep going? I mean, we rented these shoes for the whole day."

"Life is short, _cher_. Let us not waste it out here. We are not exactly hurting for disposable income," he says, which is true. Xavier pays them both quite a nice salary and they really only spend it when they travel.

They try to walk side by side, but they run into difficulty matching each other's gaits and Nori slips back behind Remy. "Yeah, okay, snowshoeing is not what I thought it would be like."

"Pretty much exactly what I thought it would be," Remy mutters.

They go back to the lodge and drink hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps in front of the fire in the greatroom. Nori has carefully positioned herself to avoid looking at the stuffed moose head that's proudly displayed above the fireplace.

After a few drinks, an older couple joins them and smiles. "You two look so cozy," the woman says.

Nori smiles widely. "We are," she says. "This is the perfect activity for this weather."

The couple laugh and introduce themselves as Dorothy and Henry Eckhart from Tucson, Arizona.

"But we just miss the snow, sometimes," Dorothy says, "So we come up here!"

Remy glances down at Nori. "We should go to Arizona, I think." He's trying to quash his Cajun accent, just in case these two might recognize him.

Nori laughs and says, "But it's so pretty here! Especially looking out at it from a nice warm room."

Henry goes to get drinks while Dorothy tells them all about her grandkids. Nori smiles sweetly and listens with genuine interest while Remy spaces out. They've both had enough schnapps to feel it, though they both react differently. Nori's friendlier and more excitable than usual, while Remy is sleepy and horny. He'd been just about to propose returning to their room when these strangers had approached. Luckily, his fiancee has telepathy, and she gracefully exits the conversation with Dorothy when Henry returns with two mugs.

"But we'll see you around, though!" she says brightly. Remy nods, and they walk hand-in-hand back to their 's cheeks have been flushed all day from cold and now from drink, and her mood is exuberant. Remy's quite pleased with how their vacation is turning out.

The next day they return their snowshoes and decline the opportunity to renew their rental. The same guy offers them cross-country skis, and they quickly glance at each other before shaking their heads no. They spend most of their vacation at the lodge, and neither of them regrets it. They check out Friday morning and make it back to the mansion before dinner. After Remy parks in the garage, Nori sighs and says, "We did it! We went on a trip and no one tried to kill us or _anything_!"

"Kinda boring, don't you think?"

"Maybe I'm okay with boring, in this situation."

They carry their bags inside and enjoy the sensation of being home. Unfortunately, their contentment is short-lived. After dinner, Scott calls the team to the Sit Room. Nori's anxiety spikes and Scott gives her a reassuring tells them that the same pharmaceutical company that had kidnapped the Morlocks has opened a new lab to continue their research into a cure for the X-gene.

Marrow asks, "Are my people safe?"

"We don't believe they will abduct the Morlocks again, no," Scott says. "They appear to be recruiting volunteers from homeless shelters and the streets."

There's a rustle of disapproval among the X-Men, but no one speaks up.

"Although this is... extremely ethically questionable, it is not illegal," Scott says.

Nori has a shield tightly in place as she asks, "But, um, how are they treating them?"

"Well, we don't know for the Professor believes that Magneto is planning to attack the facility within the coming week."

Nori tenses, and Logan speaks up. "So... are we defending the lab?" He doesn't sound thrilled.

Scott runs a hand through his hair and sighs. "Not exactly. But Professor Xavier is monitoring the situation and he-we-think that we should be prepared to intercept them and see what exactly they are planning to do."

"If he wants to destroy that facility, more power to him," Marrow says. "I'll be first in line to help."

"We need to think about the greater repercussions for the mutant community. Magneto and the Brotherhood might mean well, but if they destroy this lab it will only heighten fear of mutants."

"If they finish creating a 'cure' for the X-gene, we're gonna have a bigger problem," Logan growls.

Hank is looking down at his blue hands when Scott says, "Hank, what can you tell us about the plausibility of curing the X-gene?"

"Well, I dislike the world 'cure,' as mutation is not a disease. On an individual basis, I do not think it would be terribly difficult to eradicate the X-gene. Well, if one were a molecular geneticist. But to create a drug of some kind that would work for all mutants, for all X-genes? Would be quite a tricky piece of engineering."

"Sinister could probably do it," Nori says quietly.

Remy's mouth tightens before he says, "This ain't Sinister's style. I wouldn't put it past him, but if he's working on something like this, he wouldn't have humans working for him."

Scott shakes his head. "We have no reason to believe that Sinister is responsible for this. Seems to be regular old humans."

"They don't sound regular," Ororo says.

"What is Sinister?" Kurt asks.

"How are we supposed to know when the Brotherhood is going to be at the lab? Where even is it?" Marrow asks.

"Professor Xavier is monitoring Pyro and Mystique and will let us know when they mobilize. The lab is located in San Jose. Silicon Valley."

"So, what, we're gonna fly cross-country when Chuck catches a stray thought?" Logan asks.

"Essentially, yes," Scott says. "The Blackbird's fast. Our mission will primarily be to investigate the lab and the its treatment of mutants, and to prevent Magneto and the Brotherhood from doing anything that will unnecessarily threaten the welfare of mutants worldwide. The team will consist of myself, Storm, Beast, Wolverine, and Nightcrawler." Gambit narrows his eyes. Echo looks down at the table. Marrow stands up, looking furious.

"I should go. I can help!"

"Marrow... you're too close to this," Scott says, sadly. "And we need some people to stay behind at the school."

"Yeah, fine, because if something happens to you guys, me, the thief and the crazy girl are totally going to run the school."

Nori doesn't respond, but her cheeks flush. Remy squeezes her hand and Logan says, "Careful, Marrow."

"It isn't fair," Marrow says. "I should have revenge, for what they did to me. What they did to my family."

"That is why you should not go," Scott says. "This shouldn't be about revenge."

"I'm a good fighter. I can help."

"We're not looking for a fight, Marrow. It isn't up for discussion. You, Echo, and Gambit will stay here," Scott says, glancing around the room. Gambit shrugs, and Nori studies her fingernails. "Look, this isn't a punishment. We do need some adults to stay here with the students. I chose a team with a variety of skills."

Echo, still looking at her hands, thinks to Scott, _You don't have a telepath._

He blinks and responds, _Can we talk about this later?_

_Yes. _She looks up from her nails and gives a ghost of a smile.

"So. Any other questions?" Scott asks.

A series of bony spikes suddenly sprout out of Marrow's hands and arms. She hisses with rage and stalks out of the room.

"You just let me know when we're ready to leave. I'll pack my best claws," Wolverine says.

Scott smirks. "All right, thanks everybody. We'll be keeping our usual Danger Room schedule. Have a good night. Everyone files out of the room except for Scott, Nori, and Remy.

"Look," she says, "I totally get why you don't want me to go. But I can help. You know I can."

Scott sighs. "Echo... you can help us _if_ you're not too overcome with emotion. But if we're in a laboratory setting? If Magneto and Pyro are there? I just... I just don't know. I don't want to unnecessarily put you in danger, and I don't want to unnecessarily put the team in danger."

"What if you're unnecessarily putting the team in danger by keeping me home? I've been getting better, you know I have."

Remy stands behind her, shifting his weight from foot to foot, and Scott glances at him. "You know," he says, "I wasn't making that up about needing someone to stay here. Even if you go, Gambit will stay here."

"We're a team," Nori says. "I can work with anyone on the team, not just Gambit." She shrugs. "Look. I don't want to fight about it. If you want me to stay, I'll stay. But I think I can help, and if you think so too... take me with you."

"I'll think about it," Scott replies.

"Good," Nori says. Remy gives Scott a calculating look, but says nothing. They turn and leave the Sit Room.

In their bedroom, Remy says, "What was that about, _cher_?"

"I think I can help! You know I can."

"I can help, too, but somebody has to stay here."

"Remy, it's not that I don't think you're amazing, but Scott can fight long-range like you, and Logan can fight short-range like you. Nobody else can read minds, or block Pyro's power."

"You think Storm would have any trouble fighting Pyro?"She shrugs, and he says, "You want to go see if you can talk any sense into Pyro and Magneto. But you can't, _cher_. You can't. They want to hurt us."

"So, what, you don't want me to go either?"

"_Ma mie_, I don't want you to get hurt. That's all."

They're sitting side by side on the couch, but not touching. Nori is slumped forward with her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands. Finally, she says, "I'm not mad at you. But I'm going outside for half an hour. I want to be alone for a while. Okay?"

He kisses the top of her head. "All right, _cherie_. The time will pass so slowly while you are gone."She laughs and uses her empathy to send him a quick flutter of affection before pulling on her coat and heading downstairs. She sits outside on an iron bench, her knees tucked up close to her. There's no snow on the ground, but it's still chilly. She sits and she thinks. Was Remy right? Did she just want to try to talk sense into her old teammates? Well, yes. Was Remy right about her odds of success? Probably. But if anyone could do it, she could, right? She sucks on her bottom lip. Maybe not. She's sure Xavier has tried.

Could she really help the X-Men? Obviously it's useful to telepathically link the team, but they also have fancy little communicator devices. She's the worst fighter on the team, and it really is dangerous to everyone when she melts down. And Scott's right—and, she realizes, he'd probably consulted with Xavier before deciding not to include her on the team—she probably couldn't handle seeing another lab that experimented on mutants, especially not if Magneto is there. She sighs and wishes she had a cigarette. She can almost smell it. Then she frowns and realizes she does smell smoke. She looks around and sees Logan sitting on a nearby bench. "Hey, Logan," she calls softly, knowing he can hear her. "Mind if I join you?"

"Suit yourself," he says. She walks over to join him. He's in a T-shirt.

"Brr, makes me cold to look at you," she says.

"I got a little more meat on my bones than you, darlin'. And a healing factor." She nods, and Logan takes a contemplative puff of his cigar. "You all right?" he asks.

"Yeah. Just wanted a little time to think by myself." He nods, and they sit quietly for a few moments before she asks, "Logan?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think—do you think Scott was right? I-I know you could hear our conversation, after the meeting."

"Aw, darlin', why'd you even want to go on that mission, anyway?"

"Because I thought I could help, if I went. Do you think so?"

He pauses. "Maybe. Look, Noriko, everything One-Eye said was true. Nothin' wrong with it. You should get upset about what's happening at that lab. It's normal. But when you share it with the whole class... s'tough. We'll be just fine without you on this one."

"I've been practicing so much," she says, wistfully.

"Darlin', you've said all along that you're not a fighter. You can defend yourself, and you're braver than I'd've given you credit for the first time I met you. But if we don't need you on this mission, then why don't you stay here? Nobody thinks any less of you for it."

"Yeah. Okay. Yeah."

"Oh, and for the record, if anything _does_ happen to us and you, Gambit, and Marrow do end up running the school—you know you have to be the headmaster, right?"

She laughs. "Xavier'll still be around. And I'm pretty sure _you'll_ still be around."

Logan grunts noncommittally, and Nori says, "Whatever, though, don't let's talk like that." She shivers and adds, "I'm going back inside. You should come in soon, too, or at least put on a jacket. I don't _care_ if you have a healing factor, I swear you are going to catch cold."

He laughs at that. "I'll be in in a minute, darlin'."

"Night, then."

"Night."

She goes upstairs and finds Remy in bed, reading one of her Rolling Stones. "Anything good in there?"

"Nothing about you."

"Damn."

She changes for bed and comes to snuggle against him.

Remy gasps. "Oh, _cher, _your hair is still cold."

"Sorry."

"Better warm you up," he says, stroking her hair.

She sighs and enjoys the sensation for a minute before saying, "You were right. I wanted to try to talk to Magneto. But you were right, too, that it isn't a good idea."

"I love that you think the best about everybody. But sometimes, _cher_..." he trails off.

"Sometimes people are Magneto."

"Indeed."

She feels content with her life, with Scott's decision to keep her off the mission. So she's thrown when, Wednesday evening, Scott calls her downstairs and tells her to suit up. 

"What?"

"Well, I thought about it, and you were right. You could be useful on this mission. If you're still willing."

"Oh, of course," she says, blinking. She wasn't really mentally prepared for this. But maybe it was for the best—if she had been counting on going, she would have been much more stressed all week. She grabs her superhero outfit off the rack and quickly changes.

Logan narrows his eyes slightly when he sees her standing near the jet. "What's goin' on, darlin?"

She shrugs. "Cyclops changed his mind."

He nods. "Okay, then." Nori smiles. She knows he wants to go ream out Cyclops, but that he also doesn't want to offend Nori by doing it in front of her.

"It's fine," she says. "It's maybe better that he didn't tell me until the last minute. I'll be fine, Wolverine."

Just then Remy turns up, summoned by Nori's mental call. He, too, narrows his eyes at the sight of Nori in her black jumpsuit. She smiles and wraps her arms around his neck.

"Hey. I guess I'm going, or whatever. I love you."

"_Je t'aime_,_ cherie_." He kisses her, and his fingers trace the outlines of her hips, tightly outlined in black leather (Nori's pretty sure Scott had been lying to her when he'd said her suit wasn't real leather—it's too good to be a fake).

_When I get back, you can help me out of this thing._

_It's a date._

They kiss once more, and Remy says, "Well, _cherie_, I guess I had better go back to preventing the kids from blowing up the school or sticking gum on the furniture."

"Have fun, Remy. Love you." He kisses her forehead before finally forcing himself out of the hangar. Nori sighs and sends him a wordless wave of love and reassurance. She knows he's worried for her, and that he's nervous about being alone with Marrow. She doesn't get why Cyclops is leaving Gambit behind.

Logan looks at Nori and raises his eyebrows. He's a little surprised that Remy hasn't insisted on coming along, but he thinks about it further and realizes that Remy wants to belong at the mansion, and if it means following orders from Scott, he'll do it. Logan can respect that, even if he's not sure he'd ever be able to do it. Echo smiles up at him and says, "He was like 5 seconds from asking you to watch out for me, but he knew it would offend both of us."

"Wouldn't offend me if he asked."

"You were planning on it anyway. Don't need him to ask, and he knows it."

Logan shrugs. "You can watch out for yourself."

"Well, that's the other reason he didn't say it out loud. But both can be true."

"All right, is everyone ready?" Cyclops asks. Everyone nods, looking solemn and sexy in their black leather. They buckle up in the back of the Blackbird. Nori meditates most of the way. She feels calm and purposeful. She's hopeful about their mission.


	33. Chapter 33

When they land, they get out and cover the jet with a matte black netting. They all have communicators—"Just in case," Cyclops says, and Echo nods. It's good to be prepared. "Storm, Nightcrawler, and myself will go in first and get through the security. Beast, Wolverine, and Echo—you'll search the perimiter for signs of the Brotherhood, and when you get our go-ahead, you'll come in the lab with us. You know the drill—aim to disable, not to kill. If you get in a jam, tell Echo and she'll spread the word. Look out for each other." He glances at Wolverine when he says it, and gets a curt nod in response. He doesn't have to be told to look out for Echo. "All right," Cyclops says, "Let's do this."

Storm raises up a fog and the first group stealthily heads toward the facility. It's well-lit and a good half-mile from where they'd landed the jet. Echo, Beast, and Wolverine linger outside the jet. Echo concentrates and sends out a mental message to the team: _We're linked_.

_Thanks, Echo_, Cyclops thinks.

Beast's team waits a few minutes before following behind Cyclops' team. Echo's impressed by how stealthily men as big as Beast and Wolverine can move, though she's careful to keep that thought to herself. Cyclops tells them, _The guards are dead. We haven't run into anyone from the Brotherhood yet, but it's safe to say they're here._

_I can look for them,_ Echo says. She pauses and reaches out with her power, looking for traces of mutant energy. She gasps. _There is something fucking weird going on with the mutants in there. They do _not_ feel right. I don't feel Magneto—but I'm not sure I would, if he's wearing his helmet. Pyro is... around. He's not with the other mutants. I think Mystique might be. God, that is _distracting.

_What do you mean, they don't feel right?_ Cyclops says. _Are they hurt?_

_I can't tell that. I don't know, exactly, I've never felt anything like it. Not in the other lab, not with Stryker... their powers are unstable, I guess. _

_Do you still want us to circle the perimiter? _Beast asks.

There's a pause before Cyclops answers, _As of right now, yes. We'll let you know if anything we find in here inspires a change of plan._

Logan snorts aloud at that phrasing, but he keeps his thoughts to himself. Beast's team reaches the building and Beast tells Cyclops, _We're here. We'll circle the building and let you know if we find anything._

_Good_, Cyclops replies.

"We'll split up," Beast says. "Wolverine, you and Echo go that way. I'll go this way."

"Sure about that?"

Beast gives an almost feral grin. "I'll be fine. Go. We'll meet in the middle."

Echo and Wolverine set off cautiously. "I think Pyro's out here," she whispers.

Wolverine sniffs and nods. They walk close together and are not surprised when they turn a corner and find Pyro lurking. He gives them a manic grin and raises his arm. A flame bursts out of the lighter he's attached to his wrist, but nothing else happens. His face takes on a look of deep concentration, and then he cries out, "Echo, you fucking cunt, give me my fucking power back!"

"No, I don't think so," she says, her eyes slightly unfocused. "Pyro, we don't want to fight you. We want the same thing you want."

"Do you? Because we want to liberate these mutants and recruit them to join the Brotherhood. Hopefully they'll stick with it and not turn out to be cowards like you."

Wolverine's eyes flick between Echo and Pyro, and he decides the responsible thing to do would be to let the others know that they've found Pyro. So he does, and then he pops his claws and says, "Kid, come with us. We're all looking for the same thing."

"I'd rather not," Pyro says.

"Sorry. Wasn't a request," he says, and he retracts his claws and twists Pyro's arms behind his back and pins them together with one hand before the kid can even react.

Pyro glowers, and says, "Whatever. Echo, I know you can only hold this for like half an hour at most. You're so fucking pathetic."

"Look who's talking," Logan says, shoving Pyro along.

Echo glances at them and says, in a calm but distracted tone, "We don't have to be enemies, Pyro." Mentally she tells Logan, _Don't worry. I can hold this for longer than half an hour. It's way easier than strengthening someone's power._

_I ain't worried,_ Logan thinks back.

Pyro says, "No, we definitely do. You're the one who left the Brotherhood."

"You're the one who left Xavier's," Wolverine says.

Pyro scoffs. "Come on, Wolverine. How much longer are _you_ going to take it at that place?"

"Long as I need to be there."

Storm says, _Mystique and Magneto are both in the lab. Beast, where is your team?_

_I'm at the back entrance._

_We are coming. With Pyro_, Nori replies. Her mental voice seems a little strained. _Are Magneto and Mystique fighting you?_

_Not exactly, _Cyclops replies. _Just hurry, if possible._

Pyro can't hear their telepathic conversations but he senses that Wolverine is distracted. He tries to twist out of Logan's grasp and is rewarded with a sickening snapping sound.

"Shit, you broke my arm, asshole," Pyro shrieks.

"_You_ broke your arm," Wolverine responds. Pyro's face is white with pain and he's hissing. They quickly reach the back entrance and find Beast standing with his back to a guard's burnt corpse.

"Oh, Pyro," Echo says sadly.

"Don't you dare judge me. Not until you see what's going on in there."

"You don't really understand the difference between judgment and compassion, do you?" she asks. Her tone is still sad and distant.

"I forgot. You're Little Miss Empathy."

"So lovely to see you, Pyro," Beast says. "Let's get inside."

Inside turns out to be brightly lit. They walk past oak doors and cubicles. "The fuck?" Wolverine asks. Mentally, he asks, _Where is everyone?_

_Keep going, _Cyclops says. _You'll come to an elevator. Go down. Should be unlocked._ They follow his mental directions and enter something that looks more like the basement at Xavier's. Clean, shiny, and very high tech. It looks nothing the grim cages that had been in the last lab. Somehow, this does not alleviate Echo's nerves one bit. Echo leads them to a small lab and finds Cyclops and Magneto.

Magneto raises an eyebrow. "Well, Pyro, what have you gotten yourself into?" Pyro grits his teeth and says nothing. Magneto shakes his head and says, "And you, Echo. I'm surprised to see you. I didn't know those uniforms came in children's sizes."

Echo lets out a genuine laugh as she experimentally reaches out with her powers. As she'd suspected, she can't pick up Magneto's energy when he's wearing the helmet. Guessing what she's up to, he taps the helmet and smiles. Then he makes a gesture and forces Wolverine's hands off of Pyro. Pyro sneers and stalks over to stand by Magneto.

While Magneto's been talking, Hank has been walking around the lab, trying to figure out what's going on. Cyclops directs him to one of the computers and he taps away at the keyboard.

"Mystique has already gained access to their databases and downloaded a copy of all their research," Magneto says.

Echo stands quietly next to Wolverine, looking slightly dazed. Magneto closes the distance between them and strokes her cheek with his thumb. Wolverine lets out a barely audible growl. She tilts her head and looks up at Magneto. Every inch of her wants to take a step back, or to put up a TK shield. She doesn't want him to touch her. But she doesn't want to give him the satisfaction of stepping backwards, and she doesn't want him to know about her augmented powers. The element of surprise could come in handy, if necessary.

"Echo, my dear, what's gotten into you?"

"I've been trying to drink more water."

He snorts. "And where is Gambit? Did he grow tired of your moralizing?"

"Oh, he had soccer practice tonight."

Magneto laughs and drops his hand. Nori has a spacey, deadpan delivery that makes it almost impossible to be sure if she's joking.

Mentally, she asks, _Where are Storm and Nightcrawler?_

Cyclops answers, _With Mystique. They're checking into the mutant subjects._

Storm adds, _We are fine. The mutants are... fine_.

"Well," Beast says aloud, "This does look... like it might work."

"Have you got a copy of everything?" Magneto asks, his voice sharp.

"Yes," Beast says, disconnecting a flash drive. Magneto comes to stand next to the computer and its screen goes black.

"I have to assume that they have a backup copy, as well," Beast says.

"Likely true," Magneto agrees. Echo circles the lab and finds a bottle of ibuprofen, which she gives to Pyro.

"I'm not taking anything from this place," Pyro spits out.

She shrugs. "It's still sealed. It's probably fine." He throws it to the ground and she nods and walks away.

"Let's go find the others," Cyclops says. Echo falls back behind Wolverine as the group straggles out of the lab. Down the hall they find what looks almost like a college dorm. The hallway is lined with doors, many of which are open. Echo peers in one and finds a small bedroom with a twin bed, dresser, and desk. As they walk further down the hall, she notes that all the rooms are identical, and all are empty. She shivers and inadvertently sends a wave of anxiety out to the X-Men. Logan squeezes her hand once, then drops it.

At the end of the hallway, they find a handful of people dressed in surgical scrubs, along with Storm, Nightcrawler, and Mystique, in her normal blue form. Mystique sounds more frustrated than Echo has ever heard her. "What do you mean, you're _cured_? There was nothing _wrong _with any of you."

"We're normal now," a young black woman says. "I don't have to hurt anybody."

Echo thinks, _Hang on, I'm going to break the connection for a minute..._ and focuses on the test subjects. They hadn't _felt_ right earlier, but now she could focus on them more easily. She gasps loudly, and everyone turns to look at her. "I-I don't think you guys are cured. You still feel like mutants to me. But... but you all feel... your energy is unstable. I'm sorry. I don't know how else to explain it. Your energy is very unstable," she says firmly.

"What the fuck does that mean?" a tall white man asks. "I used to have green skin. Now it's white. You're telling me I still _feel like a mutant_?"

"Well, yes," Echo says. "I don't know what you used to feel like. It's probably different. But you definitely still have the energy patterns of mutants. Yes."

"Why don't you come with us?" Beast asks. "We have a medical facility. We could perform some tests, determine what has happened to you at a molecular level."

The formerly-green white guy snorts. "Obviously _you_ can't help us. You can't even help yourself."

Beast lifts his chin. "I am proud of being a mutant. I would never seek to 'cure' myself."

"Whatever, dude. I'm staying here. If there's something wrong with the cure, Dr. Rao will fix it."

"Dr. Rao? Kavita Rao works here?" Beast asks.

"Yeah."

Cyclops swears under his breath. Echo glances at Wolverine, who shrugs. "Who's Kavita Rao?" she asks.

"One of the world's top geneticists," Beast says. "She used to work for Worthington Enterprises."

"Oh." Echo says.

"She still does," Mystique says. "This lab is partially funded by Worthington Enterprises.

Cyclops swears again. Magneto, looking grand in his helmet and cape, approaches the gaggle of test subjects and speaks in his most commanding voice. "My brothers and sisters, mutants represent the peak of evolution. We are the future. Why on _earth_ would you seek to join them?"

The formerly-green white guy scoffs. "Easy for _you_ to say. You look normal. You have a cool power. Guy like me, what do I want to be a mutant for? Shit."

Nori frowns and reestablishes the team's psychic link. _It's back_, she thinks.

_Echo, are you positive these people are still mutants? _Beast asks.

_I mean, I'm no doctor. But they feel like mutants. Here..._ she thinks, and she floats out a memory of the way the subjects had felt to her, then pauses and sends a memory of the way the X-Men feel to her. _You see? Similar, but unstable._

_How do normal humans feel? _Beast asks.

_I don't feel them._

Pyro is watching them closely, and he experimentally flicks his lighter. But Echo's still cutting off his power. It's actually feeding her own power. She feels just fine, and she smiles at him. He scowls and looks at the ground.

Magneto is still orating, but the crowd of mutant test subjects is not interested. "Shut up, old man," one of them says. "We don't want to be freaks. We want to be normal."

"You were already normal," Nightcrawler says. "You were the way you were supposed to be. The way God made you."

"That's right," Storm says.

"Shut _up_, you freaks. Leave us alone."

Magneto sighs. "If you are not with us, you are against us. I suggest you find the exit, because we are going to destroy this lab." He glances at Cyclops, expecting a challenge.

Cyclops says, "Come with us. We can provide medical treatment. We can take you back to your homes."

"This is our home now," one of the women says. "You can't destroy it."

"I assure you, we can," Magneto says. Abruptly, Mystique whirls around and kicks Echo squarely in the back of the head. She hadn't had a TK shield up—she was saving her mental energy, and hadn't expected a fight to start so suddenly. Her mistake. Wolverine catches her before she reaches the ground.

"Goddammit," he hisses. "Echo, darlin', you all right?" He can hear her breathing and he assumes she'll live, but she's down for the count. Mystique just stands there, giving him a challenging look. Pyro grins and flicks his lighter. He holds a fireball in his hand, just for enjoyment's sake—and to show off to the test cases.

Cyclops puts a hand on his visor and says, "Nightcrawler, get her out of here." Kurt nods and takes Echo out of Wolverine's arms, then teleports down to the end of the hallway and out of sight. "Magneto, let us just get these people out of here. We don't care what you do to this place."

"We care," one of the test subjects says.

"Shut _up_," Pyro says. "What do you think you're going to do about it, flatscan?"

Cyclops says, "Look. You can come with us, or you can burn with this building. Doesn't make that much of a difference to me. But you'd better get out of here soon, if you want to live."

"I would listen to him, if I were you," Magneto says. He nods at Pyro, who throws a fireball into the nearest bedroom.

"Hey," shrieks the formerly-green man. "That's my room! My stuff's in there!"

"Please, follow us," Storm says. "Let's get out of here." The fire is growing, and Storm's eyes grow white. She's gathering clouds, just in case.

The X-Men start heading down the hallway, and some of the test cases follow. Pyro spreads the fire, and one of the test cases shrieks and runs after the group.

"We really gonna let them burn down this lab?" Wolverine asks.

Cyclops lets out an incredulous laugh. "You want to save it?"

"Not really, no. Just thought you would."

"I'm the field leader and I say it's not worth risking anybody on the team to save Worthington Enterprises. If Magneto's letting the test subjects go without a fight. I say we take the opportunity to get out of here."

"Guess I can't argue with that," Wolverine says.

"I'm shocked," Cyclops replies.

They make it out of the lab and before they're halfway to the jet they see the building completely engulfed in flames.

"God, that's so scary," one of the mutants says.

Storm says, "Cyclops, I believe we should wait until the Brotherhood departs. I can put the fire out before it spreads, assuming Pyro doesn't put it out himself."

"Agreed."

They board the jet and find Echo sprawled out over a row of seats in the jet. Nightcrawler is kneeling next to her, holding an instant ice pack to the back of her head, and murmuring in German. It sounds like a prayer.

Storm smiles and says, "I'm sure she'll be fine." Nightcrawler looks up, startled.

"Oh, Storm, I am happy you are back safe. Happy you are all back safe."

Still smiling, Storm says, "We're all fine."

Cyclops frowns. He's not at all sure about the wisdom of taking these people back to the mansion. They are clearly not sympathetic to the mutant cause. But they probably need medical assistance—Echo had been so insistent that they were unstable. He turns to ask Hank to examine Echo, but he's already on it. He checks her vitals, pries open her eyelids, and says, "Well, she's concussed, but it probably isn't serious."

"Probably?"

"On someone with no prior brain injuries, I doubt it would be serious. In her case... there may be complications. We'll wait until she wakes up."

"All right."

The mutant test subjects start grumbling, and Logan gives them a little pep talk. "Hey, if you don't like it here, we'd be happy to leave you here. With the forest fire."

"Logan," Storm chides. "We're going to put out the fire." He laughs.

"You people are criminals," the formerly-green man says. "You should be arrested."

Logan rolls his eyes. "I'd like to see them try."

Storm and Cyclops go outside to watch the fire burn. It's huge. "What do you think, Storm? Are we doing the right thing?"

"Absolutely. This lab should not exist. The Brotherhood will take public responsbility. We saved all the mutants."

"Not the guards."

"That happened before we got here. It isn't our fault. Are you ready for a little rain?"

"Ready." They stand back under the Blackbird's wing. She raises her hands and her eyes go white. She calls down rain, and they listen to the lab sizzle. Steam rises off of it. They stand there watching for another ten minutes and the rain fades.

"Let's go home, Storm."

"Let's."

They board the jet and prepare for departure.

Logan and Hank sit in the row next to Echo. Hank is holding an empty basin and a clean cloth. Logan had raised his eyebrow and Hank had said, simply, "Concussions frequently induce vomiting. It's best to be prepared."

Sure enough, an hour or so into the flight, Nori moans and pushes herself into a seated position. She looks around, confused. Her pupils are so dilated her eyes look black and her face looks pained. "Uh, I...think..." Hank passes her the basin and she throws up. Hank unbuckles himself and stands up to take it from her, giving her the cloth to wipe her mouth with. Logan follows and sits next to her, putting a friendly arm around her. She starts crying quietly and he strokes her hair.

Hank returns with a bottle of water and some Tylenol, which she gratefully takes. Then she closes her eyes and continues to cry softly against Logan's shoulder.

"You're all right, darlin'. We're on our way home."

"Hurts," she whispers. It wouldn't have been audible to anyone without Logan's hearing. She's in too much pain to keep any kind of control over her empathy. Luckily for everyone around her, pain isn't an emotion she can share with her empathy. But she is not in a great mood, and everyone can feel it. Logan sighs and keeps caressing her. They both wish Remy were there.

Eventually she falls asleep and everyone relaxes a little. She's still sleeping when they arrive back at the mansion. Cyclops sorts out the new houseguests, and Hank purses his lips. "Logan, would you mind taking Nori back up to her bedroom? Normally I would want her to stay in the medbay overnight, but I believe it will be full tonight. Tell Remy to wake her up every few hours—really awake, and responsive-and I will see to her in the morning. Of course, if she takes a turn for the worse, he can call down to the medbay at any time. She can take any over the counter pain medication for her headache."

"Yeah. Okay," Logan says.

"Thank you, Logan," Hank says, distractedly. Logan picks Nori up and she wakes up with a little moan.

"Shh, darlin', we're home."

Again, she whispers, "Hurts."

"I bet it does."

They're barely in the back door before Remy swoops in, his face pained. "How is she?" he asks.

"Got knocked out by a nasty kick from Mystique. She's gotta concussion. Hank says you have to wake her up every few hours tonight."

Remy nods and reaches out to take Nori from him. "Logan, stay," she murmurs.

"_Oui_, Logan, why don't you come up with us and you can tell me what happened?" Remy asks, stroking Nori's hair.

"Yeah, all right. Let me get out of this damn suit."

"Ah, it's your color," Remy says lightly. Tears are streaming down Nori's face again and Remy's mouth tightens. "Well... see you upstairs, then." He takes Nori up to their room and gently helps her out of her jumpsuit. He hangs it up in their closet. They can take it back down to the basement later. He puts her in pajamas and tucks her into bed.

"_Cherie_, I missed you. How are you?" She whimpers. "That good, eh?"

She takes a deep breath and telepathically says, _Will you please turn off the lights?_

"Of course, _cher_." He does so and then returns to her side. She's still crying and he gets a damp washcloth to wipe her face with.

Logan knocks once and Nori thinks, _Come in_. He blinks when he sees that the room is dark, but his vision quickly adjusts. He sits on the other side of Nori and quietly fills Remy in on the night's adventure. Nori lies very still and takes deep breaths. Her empathy is present, but weirdly blank, and Logan realizes that all she can think about is her headache.

"Darlin', you want some more Tylenol?"

"Mmm."

Remy gets up and comes back with water and some Excedrin Migraine. Ever since her head injury, she's occasionally gotten terrible headaches, but this is definitely the worst he's seen. He helps her sit up and take them, and she lies down again with a little whimper.

"You want us to leave you alone, _cherie_?" Remy asks.

"Mm-mm. Stay."

Remy and Logan lie on either side of her and quietly talk about the Brotherhood and the mutant cure. Eventually they all fall asleep. Since the first time, when both Remy and Nori were drunk, Logan's shared a bed with the couple occasionally, always platonically. They never talk about it, it just happens sometimes. Logan likes it. His friends understand his nightmares. It feels familiar, somehow—he knows he had once shared a bed with someone who understood his nightmares, but he'll be damned if he can remember who it was.


	34. Chapter 34

Logan wakes up abruptly, soft skin and a cloud of long dark hair lingering in his memory, and remembers that they were supposed to wake Nori up every few hours. He gently shakes her. "Nori. Darlin'. Wake up."

She moans and he strokes her cheek. "How do you feel?"

"Shitty."

"Headache?"

Tears shine in her eyes as she says, "It hurts so much."

"Hank said it might—since you've had head injuries before."

"He say how long?"

"No. Want me to call him?"

"No... let him sleep. Is there more... pills?"

"Yeah. Let me get them for you." He walks around the bed and brings everything back for her. She swallows a few and sighs.

"Thanks, Logan."

"Any time."

She lies down and squirms a little, trying to find a comfortable position. When Logan gets back in bed, she snuggles against him. He tucks her under his arm and sighs. Had he been dreaming about Nori? Her soft cheek on his chest feels familiar, but the hair in his dream was different. Whose was it? He's been dreaming about this woman for the last few months. It's a welcome diversion from his nightmares about the adamantium, but still unsettling.

When he wakes up again at first light, Nori's not on his chest any more. She's curled herself into a ball, facing him, her head underneath her pillow. He remembers how big her pupils had been on the jet and realizes she's probably very sensitive to light right now. He gets up to draw the curtains tightly shut, then shakes Nori awake.

"Oh, let me sleep," she pleads.

"Sorry, darlin'. Hank said to check on you."

"I'm alive, promise," she says shakily.

He brings her more Excedrin, aware that she's probably exceeding the maximum dose but he doesn't care. Logan knows about pain, but his pain always passes quickly. She's going on twelve hours of apparent misery. He watches her press herself against Remy, who murmurs something French in his sleep. She sighs and shoves her head under her pillow again, one hand lingering on Remy's chest.

He gets up and sits at the desk, flipping through a magazine. Hank knocks on the door around 8. Logan wonders what the fuzzball will think of seeing Logan shirtless in their room, but he realizes he doesn't care. He stands up to let Hank in. Hank blinks but says only, "Good morning, Logan. How is Nori?"

Logan backs into the room, gesturing at her. "Sleepin'. I woke her up an hour ago. She was okay but she's had a real bad headache since last night. We've been giving her these," he says, handing him the bottle of Excedrin, "But I don't think it's helping any."

Hank nods. He turns on the light and pulls a bottle out of his lab coat. "These are stronger."

"You couldn't have given her those last night?"

"I had a few other things on my mind," Hank says mildly. "And I did say that you could call the medbay if you needed anything."

"She didn't want us to wake you."

Hank sighs and puts a hand on Nori's arm. "Nori, please wake up. It's Hank."

She whimpers and pulls the pillow more tightly over her head. "Nori, I need to speak to you. Please sit up."

Slowly, she sits up, hugging the pillow to her chest. She presses a hand to her eyes. Remy stirs and props himself up on an elbow to observe.

"I understand you have a severe headache."

"Mm-hmm."

"And you're feeling sensitive to light?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Any other symptoms? Are you experiencing nausea?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Nori, I know this will be painful, but I need to examine your eyes. Can you please open them?" She sighs and half-opens her eyes. "All the way, please."

She opens them and grimaces. "Good job. Look at me, please. Good, good. Your pupils look normal. Can you follow my finger?" He moves it slowly back and forth. Her eyes track it, and tears start streaming down her cheeks. "All right. Thank you, Nori. You can close your eyes again. I have some rather stronger migraine medication for you. Would you like to take it?"

"Yesss."

"This is a drug called sumatriptan. It is very effective in treating migraine pain. Its most common side effect is strange sensations—it may cause you to feel warm or cold, or a tingling. It may also cause fatigue."

"Just give it to her," Logan says.

"It is my responsibility as a physician to inform her of possible side effects."

"It's fine," Nori says, holding out a hand. "Please."

"These are dissolving tablets. Do not swallow them, but put them one at a time in your mouth and let it dissolve. The medicine will enter your bloodstream more quickly that way. It may feel... a little unusual." He places two in her outstretched hand and she puts one in her mouth.

"Oh God," she says. Weakly, she stumbles out of bed and just barely makes it to the toilet before throwing up. Remy follows her. He holds her hair back and wipes her mouth off.

"Hmm," Hank says. "Well, this medication is also available as a subcutaneous injection, but I do not have any in stock."

"I'll go get it," Logan says.

Hank nods. "Thank you, Logan. I'll call in a prescription to the Walgreens in Salem Center." He walks to the bathroom door and looks sympathetically at Remy. "Even a severe migraine is unlikely to last more than two or three days.'

"Two or three _days_?" Remy asks. Nori's still crying silently.

"Let me call in the prescription and then we can discuss this further," Hank says. He pulls a cell phone out of his pocket and makes the request. Logan leaves to get dressed and pick it up. Nori curls up on the bathroom floor.

"_Cher_, you want to get back in bed?"

"The tile...feels nice," she murmurs.

"If you say so," Remy says. He sits on the edge of the tub and holds her hand. She squeezes his hand once, then pulls it back and wraps her arms around herself.

"Y'don't have to stay here. I'll be okay."

"_Non, non, cherie_, I never appreciated what a nice bathroom we have. We should spend more time in here."

She gives a weak laugh.

Hank clears his throat and begins to tell Remy, "So, when Logan comes back, we'll try again with sumatriptan. When she's feeling better, I'd like to do a CT scan and make sure there's no bruising or swelling. It's imperative that she rest and avoid any potential injuries. Any future injuries will only have more severe consequences."

Remy nods. "_Oui_, of course." Nori's weird, blank empathic projections continue and Remy gives a little shiver. He hates seeing her like this and feeling so helpless.

Hank goes back down to the lab to get a needle and other supplies, including some food for Remy and Logan, and before too long, Logan returns with a white paper bag containing a little vial. Hank turns on the bathroom light and gently swabs Nori's arm with an alcohol wipe and then injects her with the drug. She doesn't seem to notice, and Hank turns the light back off. She remains curled up on the bathroom floor and drifts back to sleep.

"You guys just gonna leave her there?" Logan asks.

"Said she liked it in there. Cooler," Remy says.

"Darker, too," Hank adds. Logan's mouth tightens and he says nothing. Hank continues, "I'm going back down to the lab to continue my work with the... cured mutants. If she doesn't wake up in a few hours, wake her. Don't hesitate to call me if you have problems or questions."

"Thanks, Hank," Remy says.

"I am sure she will be fine," Hank says gently. "She just needs time to rest and recover."

Remy nods and gives a faint smile. Hank turns off the light as he leaves the room; both Remy and Logan are perfectly capable of seeing in the dark. Logan tightens his hands into fists. "I should've seen Mystique. Should have stopped her. I was right there."

Remy shakes his head. He climbs off the bathtub and comes to sit on the edge of the bed. He takes a bagel off the plate Hank had brought up. "Ain't your fault, Logan. She knew what she was getting into. And you know she'd say it wasn't anyone's fault but Mystique's."

"But she—" Logan starts, then cuts off. He looks at Remy, who nods.

"Yeah, I feel it too, _mon frere_." Nori's sending out some strange psychic tendrils.

"Is she dreaming?" Logan asks.

"Maybe?" Remy stands up and peers into the bathroom, abandoning the bagel before taking a first bite. She's still curled up, motionless, but she's definitely making her presence known in Remy's mind. "You know," he says, "I don't think they ever tested those painkillers on telepaths."

Logan sits down, hard. Remy wonders what Nori's doing to him. Her touch in his mind is strong. When she's conscious, she uses her telepathy to talk, or to share, but not since that first night, when he wanted to show her his memories of Sinister, has she entered his mind. She's being careful. She's picking out memories and showing them to him. The first time he saw her, standing barefoot and carefree in her hotel room. Her first night with the Brotherhood, when she'd gotten a little drunk and giggled into Remy's chest. The panic and relief he'd felt when he'd seen her, drugged and glassy-eyed, but alive, in Stryker's Cerebro. He sighs and sits quietly through the psychic tour. He hopes she isn't sharing these with Logan. He glances over and realizes that Logan is _crying_. Surely Logan wouldn't cry at Remy's memories, so she must be picking something different out for him.

Logan sits completely still, stunned at Nori's touch in his mind. It's different from Xavier's, which is calm and distant, or Jean's, which had been clumsy, afraid to hurt him. Nori's is strong and pleased with herself. She likes looking in his memory. She wants to help. She navigates his mind with purpose. He has a clear image of her kneeling on the floor of his memory and putting together a jigsaw puzzle. She waves him over to help. In his mind, her hair is pink. He'd never known her with pink hair outside of photographs, but he realizes that's how she pictures herself. She smiles at him. The puzzle is huge, and she goes into a kind of trance over it. He kneels next to her, but this puzzle is somehow different from the ones he's done with her in her office and he cannot figure out how any of the pieces fit together. He watches her for a long time. He's dimly aware that Remy is talking to him, and he manages to say, "I'm okay." Then he closes his eyes and tunes him out.

She's perhaps halfway finished with the puzzle when someone else appears in the mental room. It's Xavier.

"Hello, Nori," he says.

"Hi, Professor. Do you want to help?"

"Are you sure you want to put this together?"

"Isn't that what it's here for?" she asks, innocently.

"Why don't you ask Logan?"

She looks up at Logan, sweet and wide-eyed. "Logan? Don't you want to put this together?"

"I..." he takes a deep breath. "You told me my memories were gone. But I have these dreams... I know they were real. Can she really help me?"

"Perhaps she can," Xavier admits. "Her telepathy is not as strong as mine, but she does know you better. But there is the chance..."

"What?"

"She wants so badly to help you. She may fabricate memories."

Logan glances back at Nori, who doesn't seem to have heard. "She can do that?"

"I am not sure what she can and cannot do. She has been reluctant to practice using her telepathy in this way. But I would not be at all surprised if she were capable of that."

Logan looks between Xavier—who he does believe to be well-meaning, but who he also knows has lied to him before—and Nori, who he knows would never intentionally lie to him, but whose stability is questionable—and gives a quick nod. He kneels next to Nori and says, "Let's finish this."

"It's harder without the box. Do you know where the box is?"

"Uh... no. Sorry, darlin'."

"That's okay. We can still do it. Look, you're in it."

She's right. What she's assembled so far shows a small cabin in the mountains. Logan's standing in front of the cabin, looking content, and next to him... nothing.

"I can't figure out what's supposed to go next to you," she says, gesturing with dismay at the pile of pieces.

"Me neither, darlin'."

She gives him a handful of pieces and says, "You have to do it, Logan."

"I-I can't."

"You can. You have to. I know you can," she says earnestly.

He sighs and studies the pieces in his hand. He picks out a piece and just tries to place it at random blank spots in the puzzles.

"You can't force it," Nori says. "Think about it. You know where it goes."

"It's too hard."

She shakes her head. "No, Logan, you can do it. Don't give up." She sits patiently with him for a long time. The pieces begin to make more sense to him and he hesitantly snaps a few into place.

"Kayla," he says. "Oh God."

"You know her?"

"I knew her, I..." he screams with rage and rips apart the puzzle. Nori rises to her feet and takes a cautious step back.

"Logan, it's okay," she says soothingly.

"It's not okay! Why did you make me remember!"

"I-I just wanted to help!"

"Get out of here," he growls, extending his claws. "Just..." He screams again, and she looks up at him and nods, before scurrying down the hall, back toward the door she'd come in.

Remy's eyes widen as Nori and Logan both start screaming. He'd been quietly reading a magazine for a few hours. Nori had given his mind a brief pass before apparently settling all of her attention on Logan. He'd gotten Xavier after about half an hour of creepy unresponsiveness from Logan.

Logan's claws are out, but he's just standing there. Remy decides to retreat to the bathroom. Nori looks up at him and says, "What _happened_?"

"Well now, you tell me, _cherie,_" he says.

She shakes her head. "The last thing I remember is suiting up and getting on the Blackbird."

"Oh. Well... you got hit on the head."

"_Again_?"

He grins. "Yeah. Again. You had a pretty bad headache and Hank gave you some kind of drug. He, ah, he said it might make you feel too hot or too cold. But instead I think it made you lose control of your telepathy. You came in my mind and looked at a bunch of my memories."

"Oh, sorry!"

"Shh... it was nice. But I don't know what you were doing to Logan. I got Xavier to come up and check it out. He said it was okay. He said you were helping him with his memories. It's been hours."

"_Really_?"

"_Oui_."

"Oh, man. Is he okay?"

"Ah... well..."

She sits up and cranes her neck to peer out the door. Logan's still standing in the middle of the room, claws popped and breathing heavily. He seems to be seeing something that isn't there. That, or he is unreasonably furious at their dresser.

"Should we do something for him?"

"I think perhaps he needs a few moments to work through this himself."

"Yeah. Okay. Hey, why are we in the bathroom, anyway?"

"You said it was more comfortable in here."

"Huh."

He shrugs. "Perhaps we should give Logan a moment alone."

"Okay." She comes to sit next to him on the edge of the tub and pulls his face down for a gentle kiss. Then she runs her tongue over her teeth self-consciously and says, "Uh, did I throw up recently?"

"Well, yes."

"Aw, Remy, why'd you let me kiss you? Gross."

He laughs. "You know I'd never say no to a kiss from you." She shakes her head and stands to brush her teeth. She wobbles a little on her feet and Remy quickly stands to put his hands on her shoulders.

"What the fuck," she says, looking at her face in the mirror. "How long have I been out of it?"

"'Bout sixteen hours or so."

"Jesus." She washes her face and brushes her hair and her teeth. She dabs on moisturizer and puts some concealer under her eyes. Remy watches her.

"You're beautiful," he says with sincerity. She turns away from the mirror and hugs him.

"Well, I'm glad you think so."

"I know so." He bends down for another kiss, this one decidedly mintier than the previous one.

Logan appears in the bathroom doorway. "Uh... I didn't... didn't hurt anybody, did I?" he asks.

"_Non_," Remy says. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I... okay."

"What happened?" Nori asks anxiously. "Did I hurt you?"

Logan hesitates. "Yeah," he says. "But it was good."

"What do you mean?"

"You helped me remember some stuff. But most of them aren't very nice memories."

"I'm sorry!"

"No, darlin', don't be sorry. Remember? I told you it was what I wanted. It is what I wanted."

She shakes her head. "I don't remember at all. But if it's what you wanted, I'm glad I could help." Shyly, she asks, "What did you remember? Can I ask?"

He hesitates. It feels unkind not to tell her, though he isn't anxious to share. He gives an abbreviated version. "There was a woman... I loved her, and Stryker killed her."

Remy's eyes widen. "Logan," he says hoarsely. "I remember that woman, I think. She was at the Island... but I only saw her after you'd been shot, so you didn't remember her. She had long, dark hair... she was pretty. And dead."

Logan nods, satisfied to have at least a tiny piece of his story corroborated. "Her name was Kayla Silverfox. Stryker shot her." For the second time that day, he cries for his long-dead love. Nori hugs him, and he squeezes her tightly. He hears Kayla's voice in his mind telling him, _You're not an animal, Logan_. He takes a breath and continues. "Don't remember everything—I stopped you, before you could put it all back together. Couldn't handle it. But it's something."

Nori nods. "Do you want me to try again?"

"Maybe another time. I think—I need to be alone."

"Of course."

Logan turns and leaves their room. Remy puts an arm around her and guides her over to their bed. "How you feel, _cherie_? Hungry?"

"Thirsty." He hands her a glass of water and she sips it.

"But—but you're doin' better?"

"Yeah, I guess. I don't remember being sick. But I feel okay now, so I must be better."

Remy sighs with relief. "Good thing."

"So, what, what happened? With the lab? Was anyone hurt?"

"Well, _cher_, you were."

"Right. I mean, anyone else?"

"Well..." he debates about whether not to tell her, but she'll probably find out eventually and will only be annoyed at him for keeping it from her. "Logan broke Pyro's arm."

"Hmm. Is that all?"

"All I heard about."

"Well, arms'll heal."

"Logan said you blocked Pyro's power. He was none too happy 'bout that."

"No, I can't imagine he was. What about the lab? Were there mutants there?"

"You know, _cher_, it's kind of strange for me to be the one telling you all this, seeing as how you were there, and I wasn't."

"Well, I don't remember being there, so for all I know... you _were_ there," she says with a smile. She's pretty nonchalant about half a day's missing memory. Remy supposes it's nothing compared to Logan's missing years.

"Well, that's a fair point. The lab was working on a cure for mutants and it seems like maybe it worked. They had some test subjects who all volunteered. Wanted to be cured. They said it worked, but _you_ said that they still felt like mutants to you. With your power."

"Oh, interesting."

"_Oui_. Anyway, after you were down for the count, and all the test subjects were evacuated, Pyro burned the lab to the ground."

"If he'd just asked, I think I would have let him."

Remy grins. "He never did have the best manners."

"How were you? How was everything at the school?"

"Just fine. I t'ink Marrow has a crush on me, though."

"_Everyone_ has a crush on you, love."

"Well, too bad for everyone. I'm taken."

She smiles and leans into his shoulder.

"Oh! I forgot. I told Xavier I would let him know when you and Logan were, ah, finished."

"Oh, I'll do that." She sends out a quick message with her telepathy and a few minutes later, there's a knock on her door. Remy opens it, revealing Xavier and Hank. She smiles at them. Both look somewhat surprised.

"Nori, how are you feeling?" Hank asks.

"Fine," she says. "Remy says I was sick before, but I don't even remember."

He frowns. "What is the last thing you do remember?"

"Getting ready to leave on the Blackbird last night. It was last night, right?"

"Yes."

"Remy kind of filled me in on what happened. Well, I guess, on what Logan told him happened."

"How is Logan doing?" Xavier asks.

"Okay," Nori says. "I guess I helped him remember some stuff, which ironically I do not remember doing, and he got kind of upset about it and wanted to be alone."

"Yes," Xavier says. "I would like to talk to you about that. You do not remember any of what you did? In Logan's mind, or in Remy's?"

"Not one thing."

"Do you frequently lose control of your telepathy?"

"No. Well, only if I'm having a nightmare. I've never done anything like what Logan and Remy say I did. You know I'd tell you about it, if I did."

Xavier nods. "Of course. I merely wanted to confirm. Do you mind if I attempt to examine your memories?"

"You want to examine my memories of me examining Logan's memories?"

"Well, yes."

She laughs. "Go right ahead." She slides across the bed and sits facing him. He presses his hands to her face and closes his eyes.

A few moments later, he pulls back his hands. "Extraordinary," he says.

"What?" she asks.

"That was quite a clever display of power you used."

"What'd I do?"

"You intuited what Logan was looking for, but you helped him piece it together himself. Quite tricky."

"Huh. Glad I'm productive when I'm drugged up and unconscious," she says, lightly.

Xavier smiles. "Nori, I don't think you are using your telepathy to anything like its fullest capacity."

"Well, uh, I don't really know that many people with severe memory loss, so."

"Hmm," Xavier says, a shrewd look on his face. "Well, we can discuss your capabilities another time."

Hank checks her eyes and reflexes and asks her some basic memory questions. She passes with flying colors.

"Good. I'd still like to do a CT scan of you. Could you come down to the medbay now?"

"Uh, sure. Can I get dressed?"

"Of course. Why don't you just meet me down in the medbay when you are ready?"

"Sure." She changes out of her pajamas and heads downstairs, trailed by Remy. She submits to all of Hank's testing, and then gets sent upstairs with orders to eat something. She pokes around the kitchen and makes a packet of Ramen noodles.

"It feels kind of racist that they're called Oriental flavor, right?" she muses aloud.

Remy laughs. "I guess it's all right if _you_ eat it."

"Right. It's cool if we call each other Oriental," she says, gesturing between herself and the packet of noodles, "But not if you call us Oriental."

"No, I have Oriental friends and they say it's fine." Nori cracks up laughing and sits down to eat. Remy opens the fridge and comes back with some leftover spaghetti, which he puts in the microwave, and a glass of juice, which he gives to Nori. "You should drink this too, _cher_."

"Thanks, love," she says.

Kurt walks into the kitchen. His face registers first surprise, then relief. "Oh, Nori, I am so happy you are feeling better," he says.

She smiles. "Thanks! How are you doing?"

"Oh, fine, thanks God." But his tail is lashing back and forth.

"What's wrong?" Nori asks.

He slumps. "Oh, it is nothing… it is only, I was down to see the mutants we saved from the lab…"

Her chin jerks up. "What did they say?"

Kurt looks at the floor, then back at her. "Oh, Nori, it was nothing I have not heard before. But…"

"But you don't expect to hear it around here," Remy finishes.

"_Ja, _exactly," Kurt says. "And it makes me sad… they were so unhappy that they would give up being a mutant. Being who they are." He shakes his head and looks troubled.

Nori gives him a sad smile. "Not everyone is as strong in their sense of self as you are, Kurt."

Kurt shrugs, hesitant to accept the compliment. He busies himself with getting a glass of milk. He stands and drinks it. Nori resists the urge to ask him to sit, knowing that his tail often makes it more comfortable for him to stand. She asks him how his day is going. 

"Oh, very nice, thank you. Ororo and I played, ah, Monopoly, with some of the children."

"Fun! Who won?"

"Ororo."

Remy grins at that. "I bet she did."

Kurt finishes his milk and puts the glass in the dishwasher. "I will see you both later," he says.

"Bye, Kurt," Nori says. Remy nods.

After Kurt leaves, Nori says, "I keep forgetting that those allegedly cured mutants are downstairs. I'd like to talk to them."

Remy shakes his head. "Maybe that could wait until tomorrow. Hank said you need to rest."

"But I feel fine."

"Let's make sure you stay fine, _ma mie_. They'll be here tomorrow."

"Okay," she agrees. She puts her Ramen bowl in the dishwasher and opens the fridge again, coming back to the table with a bag of baby carrots.

Remy smiles at her. "Sometimes I think you must be part rabbit, _cherie_."

She grins back at him and nibbles a carrot deliberately.

"_Mon petit lapin_," he says fondly.

After she's done eating, he leads her back up to their room. She doesn't protest—for all she'd claimed to be fine earlier, the last twenty-four hours had certainly taken their toll on her.

"Y'want to watch a movie?" he asks.

"Okay," she says. She sets up her laptop and they curl up in bed and watch _Empire Records_, which Nori can practically recite from memory.

"We mustn't dwell, no, not today. We can't! Not on Rex Manning Day!" she says along with the movie. It's a line she's fond of quoting. The first time she'd said that to him, he'd asked if Rex Manning Day was a holiday he hadn't heard of. "It totally should be a holiday," she'd replied, and shortly thereafter had persuaded him to watch the movie with her.

She falls asleep before the end of the movie. Remy listens to her breathe and watches the DVD menu loop. Finally, he gets too annoyed to bear it any longer and he carefully leans forward to turn it off. Nori sighs, but doesn't really wake up. He strokes her hair and settles on the couch to read a magazine. But instead, he finds himself daydreaming about earlier that day, when Nori had unconsciously entered his mind and given him a little Greatest Hits album of their relationship. He loves the quirky, sweet woman more than he could have imagined. He thinks of Scott, of Logan, mourning their lost lovers, and feels a swell of… fear, of protectiveness, of love. His girl might have a few scars, physical and emotional, but she is alive and not ten feet away from him and wearing his ring. He's reflecting about what a lucky man he is when there's a knock at the door.


	35. Chapter 35

Remy opens their bedroom door and is mildly surprised to see Scott standing there. Their field leader looks frazzled.

"Is Nori here? The Professor couldn't find her."

Remy steps back and nods at the bed. "She's here. Just fell asleep is all. Had a bit of a long day, yknow."

Scott sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Do you think it would be okay if we woke her? It's… kind of an emergency."

"Okay," Remy says. "What's wrong?" He gently shakes Nori, who gives an endearing little stretch.

"Mmm?" she says.

"_Cher_, wake up. Scott needs to talk to you."

She sits up and pushes her hair behind her ears. "What's going on, Scott?"

"It's—it's the mutants from the lab." She tilts her head, and he continues, "Their powers are coming back, but they can't control them."

"Oh dear. So you want me to block them?"

"Just as a temporary measure, so Hank can look at them."

"Okay," she says. She stands and slips on a pair of canvas flats. She grabs a sweater on her way out the door. It's always so cold in the basement. Remy follows them downstairs, a little anxiously. They're both surprised when Scott leads them to the Danger Room. He opens the door and they see that it's been filled with cots. There's a man who looks more like a lizard. He's weeping. Someone else is burning. Random explosions occasionally fly through the air.

Nori puts a hand over her mouth and Remy squeezes her shoulder. She carefully shields herself. The obvious misery in the room is taking its toll on her. She closes her eyes and reaches out, feeling the strange unstable energy in the room. She draws it all to her and trembles. The room gets quieter. Nori sinks to her knees, and Remy kneels beside her. Hank strides into the Danger Room and sighs with relief. "Nori, I'm glad you're here. It seems you were right about the instability of the cure."

She nods. "So, uh… I can't do this forever…"

Hank nods. "I know. But if you can keep it up for the next half hour or so, it would permit me to safely examine the mutants."

"I think so. It's just, I've never done it with so many people…"

"… And she's just getting over a concussion," Remy says disapprovingly.

"I know. I know. Believe me, Nori, I would not ask this of you today if it were not urgent."

"It's fine," Nori says. "Go." She hums quietly to herself while Remy rubs her shoulders. A few of the mutants approach them curiously. Nori keeps her eyes shut to stay focused, but she and Remy tell everyone who approaches that yes, they're mutants, and yes, everything will be fine. Remy watches as the lizard man's light skin slowly starts to gain a scaly look. He nudges Nori.

"_Cher_, you okay?" She sighs in response. "_Cher_. You have to focus or Hank is gonna get hurt."

"Oh!" The lizard man's skin returns to a pale peach color. "This feels so weird, Remy. There's so much weird energy in here."

He can hear how fast her breathing is. He moves a hand to her throat and feels how rapid her pulse is.

"Hank? You almost done?" Remy calls.

"I assure you, I am working as fast as possible."

"I don't think this is good for her."

Hank sighs and murmurs something to Scott, who leaves the Danger Room, only to return promptly with a tray full of syringes. Remy watches as Hank begins injecting some of the mutants. Finally, he walks back over to Nori and Remy.

"Nori?"

"Mm."

"You can stop now," Hank says gently. "Thank you."

"Did you just sedate them?" Remy asks, watching the mutants drop off to sleep.

"It is less than an ideal solution, I am aware."

Nori opens her eyes. They're glassy and her pupils are enormous. She's still breathing shallowly.

Hank frowns and feels her pulse. His eyebrows lift.

"Nori, how do you feel?"

"Fine. Fine fine fine." Her whole body is trembling.

"She usually gets kind of like this after blocking someone's power," Remy says. "Just, you know, less."

Still kneeling on the floor of the Danger Room, she suddenly uses her empathy to send Remy a huge spike of lust. He sucks in a breath and says, "Let's get you upstairs, _cherie_."

"Is she all right?" Hank asks.

"Ah… she will be," Remy says.

"All right," Hank says doubtfully. "Do not hesitate to call me if… if she needs help."

"_Merci_, but I think she will be just fine. C'mon, _cher_," he says, pulling her to her feet. She wraps her arm around his waist possessively and starts sending him telepathic images. He hopes to God that her shields are working. He's hard by the time they make it up to the first floor, and when they get up to the third floor he's almost groaning in anticipation. He locks the door and pushes her onto the bed.

"_Cher_, you are a bad girl."

"No," she gasps. "I'm good, I'm such a good girl."

He bends down and kisses her neck, urgently. She tangles her fingers in his hair and squirms under him. Remy cannot imagine anything more difficult than forming a coherent thought while listening to the sounds she's making right now, but something is fighting to come to the surface of his mind. Something… he absently nibbles her earlobe and then abruptly pulls back from her face. "Nori, are you okay?"

"No," she moans. "Need you."

He grins. "I mean. Before. Your pulse was so fast…"

"You're not going to make my heart explode, LeBeau, promise." She pulls his face back to hers and kisses him, hard.

He gasps and pulls her shirt over her head. He rolls her nipples in his fingers. She whimpers and puts a hand down her skirt. Remy travels down her body and stops her hand. He sucks her finger, gently, then slides down her leggings and panties and flips her skirt up. He parts her thighs, and starts to tease her with his tongue. She runs shaking hands through his hair and cries out incoherently. Occasionally Remy hears his name. Nori doesn't talk much during sex—usually just "please" and his name, which he admits he loves hearing. It took him some time to realize she says it more for herself, to remind her who she's with. For the same reason, she likes when he talks to her. It doesn't really matter what he says, she just likes to hear his voice. Remy's always been a talker anyway.

Remy loves sex. He supposes most men do, but Remy had loved sex as a personal challenge. He loved to figure out what women (and occasionally men) wanted, and to give it to them. Nori had presented a special challenge. He was a little surprised she'd want sex at all, after what she'd suffered at the hands of Stryker's guards and even before. But she does, on her terms. (She'd told him once that she'd had a very "sex-positive" therapist, for which Remy was eternally grateful.)

His relationship with Nori is by far the longest relationship he's ever had, and at first he'd privately wondered if it would get boring to only have sex with one person. But, of course, that had been before Nori had gained new powers and figured out how to use them on him. It's true that he now knows what Nori will respond to (and what she won't), but that just makes it easier to tease her, easier to maker her whimper, "Please, more, Remy, please." He likes it when she pleads—both for his own ego, and to be absolutely confident that he's doing what she wants.

Today, though, it's almost like he is with a different woman. She's electric. When she comes, her empathy hits him so hard that Remy comes in his pants, still fully dressed. He can't remember the last time that's happened to him, but he'd estimate age 14. He lies with his head on her abdomen, panting. She's still gasping for breath and running her fingers through his hair. After a few minutes her breathing returns to normal and she gives him a sleepy smile.

"Whoa," she says, shakily. She runs her hands over his cheeks. "C'mere, you." He returns to the top of the bed and accepts a kiss. She snakes a hand down his torso and finds his soft, sticky cock. "Oh!" she says.

He chuckles. "You were putting on quite the show there, _cher_."

"Sorry," she murmurs.

"Oh, no, don't you apologize." He looks into her wide eyes and asks, "How you feeling, _ma mie_?"

"Good," she sighs. "I think we burned off all that extra energy I picked up."

He kisses her. "Happy to help."

She makes a small content sound, and he strokes her cheek before getting up to change his pants. She goes to the bathroom and brushes her teeth.

"What _time_ is it?" she asks.

He glances at their alarm clock. "It's nine."

"PM?"

"_Oui_."

"Huh," she says thoughtfully. "What _day_ is it?"

"Thursday."

She looks up at him, disheveled and confused and adorable. "I think—I think I'm going to sleep."

"All right, _cher._ You should rest."

"Stay with me?" she asks, knowing he's probably not ready for sleep, but not wanting to be alone.

"Of course. Always."

She gives him a sweet, pure smile and he lies down behind her, pressing his body against hers. He melts a little inside when her empathy gives him warmth, comfort, safety… all the things Remy had wanted during his years on the run.

Nori wakes up around four. She hadn't had a nightmare, she simply isn't tired any longer. She relaxes against Remy for a few moments, then pads down to her office. She turns on some music, sits cross-legged on the floor, and waits for Logan to turn up. They have unfinished business.

She sits peacefully for about an hour until she hears a knock. "Come in," she calls, and in comes Logan. She smiles up at him.

He licks his lips, seeming nervous. "Nori… can you help me? With my memories?"

"I can try."

He sits down next to her, and she reaches up and touches his face. "Relax," she says gently. "Relax. I'm not going to hurt you." He feels a light touch in his mind, and then she retreats. "Breathe with me. In…out…in…out…" She lulls him into a quiet state and then slips back into his mind. She finds her way back to the room with the puzzle in it. It's a mess. She kneels down and starts to reassemble it. Logan joins and finds that he's able to help.

In his mind, he says, "Do we really have to do this again? It was mostly finished before."

"Yes," she says. "It's important. I-I'm not sure why. But it's very important."

"All right, darlin'." The puzzle goes faster this time, since Logan vaguely remembers what it looked like. It still takes quite some time, since it's a huge puzzle.

When they reassemble the picture of Kayla, Logan starts breathing shallowly and his vision goes red.

"Logan, breathe with me," Nori says again. She quietly calms him down, and they return to work. Now they're starting to understand why this was so difficult. It isn't a coherent image at all. There are smaller images inset around the larger image of Logan and Kayla.

They have no way of knowing how much time has passed in the real world, but they finally finish it and gaze at it proudly.

"Who are these people?" Logan asks.

"You don't remember?"

"No."

"Oh. I just… I just assumed… that you would. It seemed very important," she repeats. "Hmm." She taps at one. "That one looks kind of like Sabretooth."

"You're right. You're right. Hey, uh, Remy told me that—that he used to look different. More human. That must be him."

"And I'm going to go ahead and guess that this is why you speak Japanese," she says, indicating a photo of Logan and a beautiful woman in a kimono.

"Mariko," he remembers. "She…" He trails off and his breathing gets faster.

In Japanese, Nori says, "_Breathe, Logan. Just breathe."_

"_Maybe I don't want to remember."_

"_You don't have to if you don't want to. I'm here for you, either way."_

Logan breathes hard and his hands shake. Unbeknownst to either of them, he's gouging the hardwood floor in Nori's office.

"_All right,"_ he says, _"What else can you tell me?"_

"_Ah… well, let me look around. I'm new at this, you know._" She walks around the room. It's barren. "_Remy's mind looks more like a library. I guess all your books are overdue._ _Ah,"_ she says, running her fingers over a seam in the wall. "_I think there is a door here. Can you open it?"_

He pops a claw and runs it along the seam. "Eek! Doesn't that hurt?" Nori asks, returning to English.

"I'll heal," he says tersely.

They pry it open and find some faded and torn photographs on the floor. "Oh, Logan, whatever that bullet did to your memory… well, it was pretty thorough. But let's look."

They kneel down and pore over the photos. "Look, you were in the Army. With Sabretooth."

"Victor."

"What?"

"His name is Victor," Logan remembers.

She nods. "You guys were in the Army for a long time," she says.

Logan picks up another photo and lets out a primal scream. "What? Logan? Oh, boy," she says, standing up and backing away from him, hands out in a pacifying gesture. He stops screaming and falls to his knees, weeping. "Oh, Logan," Nori says. She slowly approaches him and kneels next to him. She gently rubs his shoulder. Wordlessly, he hands her the photo. The Japanese woman from before is lying dead, in a puddle of blood. Nori's eyes fill with tears too, and she keeps rubbing his shoulders.

He catches his breath and reaches up to take one of her hands. He remembers Kayla's words. He's _not_ an animal. "I'm all right, darlin'. Can we keep looking?"

"Of course." She gives him one more reassuring pat before returning to the photos. She starts organizing them. "There are a _lot_ of Victor."

There are a few of Stryker, and she puts those face down.

"Oh, look, here's Remy! He looks so young," Nori says. "And kind of pissed." Logan looks at the photo. Remy's brandishing a wooden bo staff at him, a cocky expression on his face. It stirs something in his memory, though it might just be because Remy had already told him about the fight they'd had in New Orleans.

After all the photos are sorted, she sits quietly while Logan looks through every one. Sometimes he remembers a name, a place; sometimes, he doesn't. After he's gone through all of them, he says, "I guess we're done here."

"Okay," Nori says. "I'll just show myself out."

He gives her a small grin and says, "Thanks."

"You're welcome." She turns and heads for the door. A moment later, they look at each other in the real world. Both of their faces are tear-streaked.

"You did it, darlin'," Logan says. "Thank you."

"You're still welcome. Doesn't seem like we found that much, though."

"More'n I had before. I think… think I need to hit the road. Canada. Japan. Maybe if I see some of those places… I'll remember more."

"That might work," she says. "I… I could go with you, if you want. Or Remy, I'm sure."

He smiles and shakes his head. "No. It's something I should do alone."

"Okay," she says. "But you don't have to be alone. Not if you don't want to."

"I know."

They sit in companionable silence for a few moments, before Logan says, "Darlin'? What in God's name are we listening to?"

She tilts her head. "Tori Amos. From her electronica phase. You're not a fan?"

"Not so much."

"It's an underappreciated album, in my book." She gently rocks to her feet and changes the music. "How's this? Beethoven, from his extremely pre-electronica phase."

He laughs. "Better."

She glances again at her laptop and says, "Wow, it's almost seven."

"You know, maybe that's why Xavier never found anything. I never let him try for that long."

"That could be. Or perhaps you simply were not ready to remember yet."

He nods. "Hey. Sorry about your floor, Nori."

"What? Oh," she says, following his gaze. "Eh. I'd been thinking about getting a throw rug anyway."

He grins. Nori had walked right over the gouged floor and not noticed. Xavier's fancy mansion was wasted on her. He rises to his feet. "I'm going to go pack."

"What the hell? You're going to Japan _now_?"

"Well, Canada first, I thought."

"Logan, you can't just leave. You have classes."

"Remy can teach all that stuff."

"_Or,_ you can wait two months and go in the summer. You waited almost twenty years, you can wait a little longer."

"What if…what if I forget again?"

"I'll help you remember, again." Her face is soft as she says, "There's only two months until Rogue graduates, you know. Don't you want to be here for that?"

"Well… of course."

"Your past will always be there, Logan. The present is ephemeral."

He nods slowly. "Okay. I guess I could stick around a few months."

"Perfect. Also, I think Remy and I are getting married in May, and we want you to be a witness."

Logan grins. "I knew you had an ulterior motive."

"Always." She gives Logan a tight hug and says, "Well, I'll see you at breakfast, then."

"Seeya, darlin'."

Nori returns to her bedroom to find Remy half-awake. It's early for him, but they had gone to sleep at 9PM the previous night. She smiles and climbs back in bed.

"Where'd you run off to?" he murmurs.

"My office. I… I helped Logan again with his memory. Remy, I think he is at least a hundred years old."

His voice is more alert as he says, "You were in Logan's memory? Alone?"

"Well. Yeah."

"He could have hurt you, _cher_."

"Logan wouldn't."

"He wouldn't if he was in control of himself. But… he ain't always in control!"

"Well, everything was fine." Almost everything—she decides she doesn't have to mention her office floor right now.

"Thank God for that. But _cher_, promise me you won't take any more risks like that. Not without Xavier, or me, or somebody around."

"Okay," she says in a small voice.

He wraps an arm around her. "It's just that if you got hurt… "

She sighs and rolls over to kiss him. "Sorry. I wasn't thinking about that. I just wanted to help."

"Of course you did," he says fondly. "So. Did you find anything interesting?"

"I think Sabretooth might be his brother."

Remy whistles. "Talk about an awkward family reunion. I never saw a tougher fight than Logan and Victor on Rue Bourbon."

"I always forget that you knew Logan before. What was he like then?"

Remy considers. "Oh, just about exactly the same as he is now."

"Least he's consistent. What were _you_ like then?"

"Handsome and charming."

She laughs. "Well, you're consistent too, I guess."

He runs a thumb over her cheek and says, quietly, "I was scared. I was so scared when he came into that bar and started talking about Stryker."

"Well, why wouldn't you be? Seems like the only sane response." Remy shivers and Nori strokes his hair. She continues, "You went, didn't you? You helped them escape. You were brave."

He shakes his head but doesn't say anything. Nori says, "Remy, you were just a kid, really. A kid who'd been imprisoned and experimented on for two years. You were brave and clever and you escaped, and you went back. And now Stryker is dead." It unsettles her to think about how often the two of them use the phrase "Stryker is dead" to console each other—but she can't deny that is an extremely comforting piece of knowledge. She keeps petting his hair and she whispers, "You're safe, now. We're both safe."

They both cry, a little, and lie together quietly for several minutes. Finally, they shower and dress. Nori's a little worried when they don't see Logan at breakfast, but she reaches out with her mind and finds him in the garden.

_Just wanted to make sure you weren't halfway to Calgary._

_I told you I'd stick around until graduation, didn't I?_

She sends him the psychic equivalent of a smile and then breaks their connection. When she opens her eyes, Remy's smiling at her.

"What?" she asks.

"You're awful cute when you do that," he says.

She smiles back and is about to respond when Hank walks up to them. She turns and says, "How are they?"

"Well…"

Nori twists her lips into a pretty moue. "You want me to come downstairs?"

"Yes. _After_ you finish eating that," he adds, as Nori half-rises to her feet despite the unopened yogurt in front of her. She sits back down and shrugs.

"But are they okay? Are they in pain?" she asks, peeling back the foil.

"They… they are distressed," Hank says. "I do not believe any of them are in physical pain, however."

"So, um, the—"

Hank interrupts, "I can explain more when we are downstairs."

"Oh. Okay," she says, licking raspberry yogurt off her spoon. She falls quiet and eats as quickly as possible before depositing her spoon in the silverware bin. Remy's still eating half a bagel, but he follows Hank and Nori downstairs.

"I have been studying the so-called cure, as well as the notes we obtained from the lab," Hank says. "I believe that it does work, but only if they receive a daily dose. What I have not been able to determine is if the effects they are currently experiencing are permanent, or simply a form of withdrawal."

Nori slips her hand in her mouth and bites down on her knuckle. "That sucks," she says after a moment. Remy gently takes her hand and rubs his thumb over the faint teeth marks she's left behind.

"So, what are you going to do?"

"That's the million-dollar question, isn't it?" They stop in front of the Danger Room and Nori abruptly realizes how tired Hank is.

"When was the last time you slept?" she asks.

He shakes his head. "There's so much to do."

She takes his hand and focuses her power on him. She's not really sure what strengthening his power will do—she'd never tried it on Hank. But she's heard that her power boosting feels pleasant, and if nothing else, she can give him that. She pulls away after a moment.

"Well, thank you," Hank says, blinking.

"Any time," she says.

"Now. I am working in the lab to recreate this… cure… but I would also like to keep the mutants here under observation, to see whether or not they are detoxing the drug from their systems. I would like it if you could block their powers, so I could perform some tests."

"Yes, of course. But—do you think, this time, we could try a few at a time?"

Hank nods.

"I could just follow you? And do it case by case?"

"I think that would be fine."

"Hang on, there," Remy says. "The whole reason you didn't do it that way yesterday was because that room was _on fire_ when we got there."

"Yes. There are a few… I will point them out to you, and you can block them the entire time, as a… precaution," Hank says. "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Nori says. Remy squeezes her hand and Hank keys in the Danger Room code. Nori takes a deep breath and then links herself, Remy, and Hank telepathically.

_Which ones, Hank?_

_Well. Aidan is the young man in flames. Jenny is shooting sparks. Amara is melting the floor. _One by one, those powers wink out. _The rest are merely… inconvenient._

_Right._

Nori trails behind Hank, blocking powers and struggling to keep her empathy under control. Remy trails behind Nori, keeping a protective hand on her shoulder. They're an unusual trio, but they get the job done. Nori starts getting a little twitchy, but compared to the previous night, she's fine. Hank finishes his rounds and sends Nori and Remy on their way.

"How you feel, _cher_?" Remy asks hopefully.

"Hungry," she says, to Remy's disappointment. She smirks at him. "Let me get a bagel or something and then we can go upstairs."

"I can live with that."

She spreads peanut butter on a bagel and eats it with, Remy thinks, an unfair amount of deliberation. Finally, she licks her lips and rises to her feet. She looks like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth, but she is sending him downright pornographic mental images. He sucks in a breath and follows her up the stairs. After being with a telepath, he's not sure if he could ever go back to being with regular women, even if he wanted to.

Nori's worked up from using her power, but not quite so desperately as she'd been the night before. They take their time in bed, and when they're finished, Nori kisses him and says, "So, I think we should plan our wedding, or whatever."

He laughs. "Well, you've got me where you want me."

"I'm an excellent negotiator," she says. She climbs out of bed and comes back wearing his discarded shirt—which he loves seeing on her—and carrying her laptop. "So, I think we should do it in May."

"That's comin' up real fast. Don't people usually take a year or so to plan this kind of thing?"

"Yeah, but we don't need a church or a caterer or anything. I mean. Unless you just want to wait for a year?"

"Think I'm gonna get cold feet?"

"I just don't want to rush you."

He looks over at her fondly. "I'd marry you right this minute if you wanted."

She shakes her head. "I promised you cake, didn't I?" She bends down and kisses him softly.

He sighs. "May, then."

"Okay. So Here's what we need: a couple of rings. A wedding license. A witness or two. And I was thinking, I'll just make a bunch of cupcakes rather than get some giant creepy cake."

"You forgot champagne. We need that."

"Right," she says, adding something to her Word document.

"_Cher_, you didn't even have champagne on that list? Let me see."

She tilts it so he can see. It is a bulleted list:

Rings

Wedding license (at least 1 day in advance)

Witnesses need state ID (Logan has one, right?)

Cupcakes

Champagne

"That's like, it, right?" she says. "I thought we could have it the day before graduation. That way the kids are all done with schoolwork, but it's before any of them leave for the summer. Also, Logan's going to Canada after graduation."

"What about music?"

"Oh, of course. I was just going to make a playlist and put it over the sound system in the ballroom."

"You don't want to play?"

"I've played at so many weddings. I'd rather just dance. What do you think?"

He grins at her. "I want to dance with you."

"Good. So, the day before graduation is May 30. It's a Friday. Do you want to invite your brother and his family?"

"Ah… well, they probably won't come, but it would be nice to invite them, _non_?"

"Of course," she says. She opens a new document and writes "Invite: Henri and Mercy. Rachael. Ken and Aiko. Mom. School."

"School?" he laughs.

"Well, you know, I'm not going to write out all their names right now. Is there anyone else?"

"You don't have any friends you'd want to invite?"

"Ehh… I haven't really told any of them about the school, or, whatever. It just seems… safer to keep it small. Maybe Andrew. And maybe… hmm…oh, I don't know. I kind of want to invite Pyro. I know he wouldn't come, but…"

"Hmm," Remy says, noncommittally. Logan had told him all the things Pyro had said to Nori at the lab, things that Nori didn't remember. "Well… whatever you think."

"I guess." She quirks her lips. "Is it okay with you if I ask Rae to design the invitations?"

"Of course, _cher_. Whatever you want."

"I will remember you said that."

Remy grins. "Also, you need a dress."

"Yeah, I'll get Rae to go shopping with me I guess. I'm not getting anything fancy, though."

"Whatever you want is fine with me."

"I know," she says with a grin. "What are _you_ going to wear?"

"I will look presentable."

"You always do," she says, smiling up at him. She stretches her arms out in front of her, satisfied. "Man, they act like wedding planning is hard. Is there anything you want to do? Any family traditions, or anything?"

He shakes his head. "My family traditions didn't work out so great. I'm happy to start some new ones."

"Okay. Okay, also, rings?" She pulls up a website. "This is a friend of a friend, he's an artisan and he makes wedding rings from recycled metals. These are just samples, but, I was thinking, white gold? Do you like this one?" she asks, tapping an image labeled "Classic wedding band." "Or," she says, "There are some ones with engraved designs? Or do you want gold?"

He holds his breath for a minute and looks down at his hand. He imagines seeing a wedding ring on it. "I just want…" he trails off. "I like the simple one. White gold, I guess." He beams.

"Okay," she says. "And then for me…" She looks at her own left hand and smiles. "Well, he can design something that goes with this ring. So, I'll call him, and maybe next week we can go to his studio? It's in Brooklyn."

"Well, sure, _cherie_."

"Are we forgetting anything?"

"Hell, it's only March. We got all the time in the world."

She clicks "save" and puts the laptop away. "We're getting _married_," she says.

He pulls her toward him and starts tickling her ribs, loving the silky feel of his shirt against him and the gentle shaking of Nori's laughter. "Nooo," she protests, though her struggles are insincere. She giggles and shares her feelings with him, and he laughs too.

"You are my favorite," he says.

"I should hope so." She curls up on his chest and he sighs.

"_Je t'aime_," he murmurs.

She grins into his chest and uses her empathy to tell him the same thing.


	36. Chapter 36

Nori spends as much time as she can bear with the mutants from the lab. They're initially skeptical of the pretty, normal-looking woman, but they crave her ability to block their powers. She helps them as much as she can, and she whispers reassurances. It becomes clear that they are in withdrawal from the "cure," and she tells them about her withdrawal from antidepressants and how awful it was. But she tells them that she got through it, and she knows they will too. She tells them that Xavier's is a safe place for mutants, and most of them come to believe her.

After a week, most of them begin to gain some control over their powers. One afternoon, as she's leaving the Danger Room, Greg—the lizard man—corners her.

"I'm sorry, Greg, I have to go meet with a student. I'll be back later."

"Please," he begs. "Please just make me normal."

"This _is_ normal for you," she says gently.

He hisses and swipes at her face with his long talons. She has a TK shield up but the force of his blow still knocks her back a little.

"Greg!" she says. A few of the other mutants come over.

"What the fuck, Greg," Amara says. She's in her magma form.

"Not cool," agrees Aidan, also burning brightly. Nori's spent the most time with the mutants with the most dramatic powers, and they've grown attached to her.

Greg's eyes widen and he mutters, "Sorry. Forget it."

"I have to meet a student," Nori repeats. She waits until the doors of the Danger Room swoosh shut behind her before she starts crying. She stands in the hallway and catches her breath. She ducks into the locker room to wash her face, and when she comes out she runs into Logan, on his way to the small dojo-like sparring room.

He frowns. "What's wrong, darlin'?"

"Nothing," she says.

He gives her a long look, unconvinced. "Did one of those test case mutants say something to you?"

"It's not a big deal. I have to go meet with Kitty. I'm late."

He narrows his eyes and says, "We'll talk about this later."

"Ugh, fine. See you later," she says, continuing on to the elevator, where she meets Remy. "Hey, love," she says brightly.

He kisses her, then pulls back. "What's wrong, _cherie_?"

"Goddamn, you two are perceptive," she says.

"What?"

"Logan already saw me. I'm okay. Greg—you know, the lizardy guy—he just tried to take a swipe at me. It just—just startled me. I'm fine. Had a shield up."

Remy swears in French.

"Look, Remy, he's having a really hard time with all this. Just—just leave it be. And—don't tell Logan."

He gives her a long look before pulling her into a tight hug. "You be _careful_, Nori!"

"You're the one about to go spar with a guy called Wolverine, and you're telling me to be careful?"

He laughs. "_Touche_."

"I'll see you later, love. I have to meet with Kitty. She is freaking the fuck out about colleges."

"She ain't graduating, is she?"

"Not for another year. But that's not stopping her. Didn't stop me, either. I think I actually started freaking out about colleges as a freshman."

He laughs and ruffles her hair. She pouts and smoothes it back into place. "Love you," he says.

"Love you too," she says, finally getting in the elevator. She sighs as she finds Kitty waiting outside her office near tears, clutching an enormous expandable file folder. "I am _so sorry_ I was late, Kitty. Something came up downstairs."

"It's fine. It's… is everything okay?"

"Fine, fine." She unlocks her office and ushers Kitty in, handing her a box of Kleenex. "It's fine, Kitty. Cry all you need. High school is a really hard time."

Behind Miss Oyama's office door, Kitty lets go and weeps, spilling out something incoherent about test scores. Nori nods and listens and soothes.

Finally, she says, "Kitty, let me ask you something. What is the very worst thing that could happen with your college applications?"

"Oh God, they could _all_ reject me!"

"And then what?"

"And then… I don't know, I'd have to work at _McDonald's forever_."

Nori smiles. "Try again, Kitty. What would happen?"

"I—I don't know."

"If you didn't get into any college—which, believe me, is not going to happen, but _if_—you'd go to community college for a year and apply as a transfer student. It would show admissions boards that you are serious and dedicated, which you are."

"But only losers go to community college."

"How do you define 'loser', Kitty?"

"You know… people who weren't good enough to get into a real college."

Nori shakes her head. "Keep thinking, Kitty. Why else might people go to community college?"

"Well…"

"Have you thought about how you're going to pay for college?"

"If I get a scholarship… and my parents said they'd help…"

Nori nods. "Not everyone's parents can help, you know. So that's one reason people go to community college. Others have commitments—work, family—that prevent them from uprooting to a different college town. But that is neither here nor there, really." She pushes a piece of hair behind her ears. "Kitty, can I tell you about my high school years?"

"Sure."

"I spent all of my waking hours on homework, studying, and practicing violin. And the extracurricular activities my parents approved—Chess Club and Mathletes. I never dated anyone. I never went to a party, unless it was one my dad had to take his family to. It was not a super fun time for me. But I did it all, because my parents wanted me to, and I thought it was the most important thing to get into a good college. And it was important, I guess. But looking back, I think about all the fun high school stuff I missed, and I wish I'd spent just a little less time studying." She smiles. "This isn't advice I would give to everyone, mind. But you, Kitty? You can spend a little less time studying. You have good grades. You'll have great letters of recommendation. You have a nice resume of extracurricular activities. And even _if_ your SAT scores aren't perfect, that doesn't matter. Test scores are one of the least important things in college admissions. I promise."

"What about… because I'm a mutant?" Kitty murmurs.

Nori's mouth tightens. "They can't ask you about that, on your application. I'm not going to tell you that it will be easy for you to attend college, as a mutant. But I think you've already done harder things, haven't you?"

"I… I guess."

Nori smiles. "So, where do you want to go?"

"Harvard, maybe, or MIT… maybe Yale."

Nori nods and engages Kitty in a frank and serious discussion of the pros and cons of Ivy League schools. It makes Kitty feel extremely grown up, and she preens a little. Finally, Kitty excuses herself to go study. Nori raises her eyebrows and Kitty adds, "But I promise I'll go play video games or something appropriately teenager-y when I'm finished."

"Attagirl, Kitty. And, Kitty, any time you need to talk about college or anything, I'm here, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks, Miss Oyama."

"You're welcome."

Kitty walks right through Nori's closed door. Nori grins and opens her laptop. She turns on some music, puts on her reading glasses, and starts perusing her Google Reader. She's absently humming along with Neko Case's live album and reading about whether or not cell phones kill bees when someone knocks on her door once and then comes in without waiting for a response. Without turning, she sighs and says, "You know, Logan, most people wait for a reply after knocking."

"I'm efficient," he says.

She laughs and looks over at him. "What's up, Logan?"

He frowns. "I know this song."

"Well, it dates back to the 1800s, so you may have heard it once or twice over the years."

"Huh?"

"I mean, this is a more recent recording, obviously, but it's an old Appalachian folksong. Wayfaring Stranger. Neko Case recorded it a couple years ago and it's _amazing_. You came to talk music?" she asks, grinning.

"Not exactly," he says.

"Fashion tips?"

"I want to know why you're spending so much time with those lab rat mutants."

"Uh, Logan, are you forgetting that both of us were also lab rat mutants?"

Logan shakes his head. "Not by choice."

"Maybe that's all the more reason why they need someone to spend time with them, besides Hank. To help them realize that there are different choices."

"You feel sorry for them?"

"I feel compassion for them. I, well, empathize with them."

"They're dangerous."

"So am I. So are you. So are we all." She smiles tersely. "I appreciate your concern, Logan. But I want to help them, if I can."

He sighs. "Just make sure you keep a shield up in there. And if any of them give me trouble, you tell me, all right?"

"And you'll give them a stern talking-to?"

"Something like that."

She laughs. Then she stands up and picks up her guitar, and uses her TK to take the Civil War songbook she'd gotten from Rachael off the bookshelf and into Logan's hands. He looks down at the book and then raises his eyebrows at her. She smiles and starts to play and sing.

_I am a poor wayfaring stranger_

_A-traveling through this world below_

_But there's no sickness, toil, or danger_

_In that bright land to which I go_

_I'm going there to see my father_

_I'm going there no more to roam_

_I'm just a-going over Jordan_

I'm just a-going over home

Logan flips through the book and looks almost afraid. "I definitely remember this song. Somewhere… I… Goddamn. What _am_ I?"

"You're a mutant," she says, simply.

"That's for damn sure."

She looks worried. "Are you… are you happy, that you're starting to remember?"

"I…happy ain't the word for it, exactly. Seems like most of my memories aren't that cheery. But it's a relief. To know where…I came from. Though I don't actually remember back quite that far."

She nods. "Okay." She looks into his eyes for a moment, then starts playing "John Brown's Body."

He listens thoughtfully, watching her play. When she finishes, he nods at Nori's arms. "So, what's your reason?"

She blinks and glances down at her left wrist, which has the phrase "reason to believe" tattooed around it in a delicate script. "It's from a song," she says, running her thumb over the words. "I think maybe the song is my reason. Maybe music is. Maybe it doesn't matter what the reason is, as long as you have one. Here…" she puts down her guitar and plays Paul Simon's "Graceland" for him off her laptop. He listens.

I've reason to believe

_We all will be received_

In Graceland

Logan laughs. "Graceland? You a big Elvis fan?"

"It isn't about Elvis. It's about _grace_. Shh, this is my favorite part," she says, and she sings along.

_I may be obliged to defend_

_Every love, every ending_

_Or maybe there's no obligations now_

_Maybe I've a reason to believe_

_We all will be received_

_In Graceland_

He shakes his head and she smiles. "I don't know if I can say it any better than that song. We're all…we're all here, on this world, for a while. Maybe a long while," she says, grinning at him. "And we're all… 'tumbling in turmoil,' we're all just stumbling through looking for some kind of grace. That's what I believe in."

"What, like heaven?"

"No. Grace. Blessings… unearned but cherished. Like a mutant power, maybe. Like an unexpected friend. Like a moment when the sun hits the water just right. Like a good cup of tea. Grace."

Logan nods and says, softly, "Sometimes… seems like grace don't come around that often."

"You have to learn how to look for it, Logan." She smiles. "Xavier's mansion might not have a Jungle Room, but I still think we're living in Graceland right now." Logan just stares at her, because what can you say to that? She continues, "So the tattoo… it's both a reminder that there _are_ reasons to believe, and to _look for_ reasons to believe."

Logan still says nothing, and Nori gently adds, "There's reasons all around you, Logan."

Finally, he says, "Huh. You're something else, darlin', you know that?"

"I have heard that, yes."

He rises to his feet. "I'll see ya around. And remember, if you want somebody to go hang out with those lab rats with you… you know where to find me."

"Thanks, Logan."

He nods and slips out the door. Nori grins and puts her reading glasses back on. She wonders if she could change her job description from music teacher to counselor, and she laughs aloud at that thought. In what world was she qualified to be a counselor? Well—this one, apparently.

She continues to visit the mutants in the Danger Room as often as possible, and receives no further trouble from any of them, which could be because more often than not, Logan or Remy come down with her. She's happy for the company. She wishes Logan could be just a tiny bit nicer to them-but she supposes leopards can't change their spots, and neither can wolverines.

NOTE: The songs quoted are "Wayfaring Stranger" (which is a traditional song, but Neko Case's version is beautiful) and "Graceland" by Paul Simon.


	37. Chapter 37

The next Saturday, Remy and Nori climb on Remy's recently-acquired motorcycle and drive down to Brooklyn. Traffic is relatively light—and Remy doesn't always quite obey the speed limit- and it takes them less than an hour and a half. Nori telepathically guides him to a restaurant she'd found online. Remy parks the bike on the sidewalk and chains it to a bike rack. "Technically, you can get a ticket for that, but it seems like they hardly ever enforce it," Nori says. "Or at least they didn't used to."

"I'll take my chances," Remy drawls.

The restaurant promises "New Southern" food and Nori says, "So, I've never been here, but it has a really good rating on Yelp. And I thought you'd like it?"

He kisses her. "_Ma fille douce_," he says. They walk in, carrying their helmets, and find Rachael sitting at a table near the front. She and Nori embrace, and Remy shakes her hand.

Rachael grins at Nori's black plastic glasses. "Look at _you_, Rivers Cuomo!"

Nori shrugs. "You can take the girl out of Williamsburg, but you can't take the Williamsburg out of the girl. Just, you know, trying to blend in a little."

"Well, they look good."

"Thanks! Hey, I thought your new girlfriend was coming?" Nori asks.

"Ah, she's on call today and something came up this morning. She said she'd try to come late if she could get out of there on time."

"She's breaking my heart!"

Rachael laughs. "I have to tell you that Cece is definitely tired of hearing that song."

"Shit. Well, I'd better get it out of my system before she gets here." Remy looks confused, and Nori says, "Her name's Cecilia. Like the Simon & Garfunkel song? _Cecilia, you're breaking my heart/You're shaking my confidence daily_?"

"Oh, _oui_, I do know that song."

"Whew," Nori says.

Remy excitedly orders a seafood jambalaya and hopes it tastes half as good as anything from New Orleans. Nori gets a vegetarian po'boy and Rachael, after looking over the entire menu with a faint look of distaste, orders a garden salad.

"So, you guys are ring shopping?" Rachael asks, slight distaste still written on her face.

"Yes, we are," Nori says, with a grin that overpowers Rachael's hesitance.

"Well... I hope you find one you like." She reaches in her bag and pulls out a small stack of paper. "I made a few prototype invitations for you. I've been experimenting with linoleum block printing."

Beaming, Nori spreads them out in front of her and Remy. One has a vivid red heart stamped on it. Another has a delicate rose border. But the third one has two doves, one red and one black. "This one," Nori and Remy say in unison. "It's perfect," Nori says.

"I kind of thought so myself," Rachael admits, "But I made a couple others just to give you some options."

The text, composed by Nori, reads:

Noriko Oyama and Remy LeBeau

Are Getting Married

(Or Whatever)

And Will be Serving Celebratory Cupcakes at

Four PM on Friday, May 30

1402 Greymalkin Lane

Salem Center, NY

For Directions, Call 914-825-6584

Be There or Be Square

No Gifts, Please

(Material Possessions Are Transient)

"As wedding invitations go, it's pretty solid," Rachael says.

"Right?" Nori says. "So, uh, can you make like... 60?"

"Sixty?" Remy asks.

"Well, I want all the kids to get one. It'll make them feel... you know, special. Included."

"Yeah, no problem," Rachael says.

"You are the _best_."

Their food arrives, and Nori stacks the prototype invitations back and hands them to Rachael, who says, "Nah, keep them." Nori nods and slips them into her purse, and then carefully begins the arduous task of eating her overstuffed sandwich without spilling it everywhere. After a few bites she gives up and resorts to fork and knife. If Nori were in charge of things, all foods would be bite sized. Remy grins at her and enjoys his meal. It's not bad; he suspects there might be an actual Cajun back in the kitchen.

Rachael's phone buzzes; she reads the message and beams. "Cece's on her way."

"Yay!" Nori says. Remy smiles and hopes to God Rachael's girlfriend is a little easier to get along with than she is.

Just as Remy finishes savoring his last spicy bite, a small, tough-looking Latina woman with-Remy cannot help but notice-a great ass breezes into the restaurant and settles herself down at their table. She kisses Rachael on the cheek.

"Cece, I'm so glad you could make it," Rachael says. "This is my best friend, Nori."

"Hi! It's so nice meet you!" Nori says, happily extending a hand. Cecilia takes it, a guarded expression on her face.

"Yes. Likewise," she says, coolly.

"And this is Nori's fiance, Remy."

"_Enchante_," Remy says, offering a hand. Cecilia nods and says nothing.

Nori raises her eyebrows briefly at Rachael, who shrugs minutely. "So, ah, Cecilia," Nori says. "You're a doctor?"

"Yes. I practice emergency medicine at New York Methodist hospital."

"That's really great! How long have you been there?"

"For about three years now."

"Have you always wanted to be a doctor?"

"Yes."

Remy squeezes Nori's knee under the table. Cecilia's tone has been downright icy throughout the conversation, and finally Nori says, "I'm sorry... is something wrong?"

Cecilia crosses her arms and says, "I just..." she purses her lips, "I know who you are."

"Well... okay," Nori says, looking a little hurt and confused. "I mean, Rachael just introduced us."

Cecilia narrows her eyes. "I just think that you two, and your group, did a lot to hurt the cause of mutant rights."

Nori blushes. "Oh-I-"

Rachael says, "Stop, Cece. They're good people. They were doing what they thought was right."

"That doesn't always matter, does it?" Cecilia asks.

"Hey. Come on. If you know who we are, then you know what has been done to us," Remy says. "Don't judge us before you walk a mile in our shoes, eh?"

Nori stares down at her fingernails and says nothing.

"What do you mean, what's been _done_ to you?" Cecilia asks, a little too loudly. Rachael squeezes her hand, and the waiter glances over at them, then away.

"We were both held prisoner, experimented on by the government. What, you never saw that part in the news?" Remy asks.

"They-they never found any proof that any of that stuff was true," Cecilia says.

"You want proof? We have been living with proof for years," Remy says, his hand still firmly on Nori's knee.

"Nori's not a liar," Rachael says. "Uh, and neither is Remy," she adds, hastily. "Kiki? Are you okay?"

Nori doesn't respond, and Remy leans down to whisper in her ear. Nori sighs and says, "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just don't like to... to talk about it."

"It was all a little more recent for her than for me," Remy says.

They've managed to lower the conversation down to a normal enough volume that the waiter hesitantly approaches to take new drink orders. Nori gets a glass of wine, which she holds with two slightly-trembling hands. Remy glowers at Cecilia. He hopes she's happy.

"Why don't you hear their side of it?" Rachael asks.

"Here?" Nori says, glancing around.

"Maybe back at my apartment," Rachael concedes.

"Also, we have to go soon-we have an appointment with Teo, the artisan, at three," Nori says. "Maybe later this afternoon we could get a drink or something? If you want?" Her face and tone are so hurt and vulnerable that Cecilia softens.

"Yes, all right," she says. "I-I'm sorry I upset you. I was just-I've heard so many things about you."

"You believe everything you hear?" Remy asks.

"No," Cecilia says. "But..."

Rachael says, "Let's just table this for later, all right? Please?"

"Yes. Fine," Cecilia says.

"Works for me," Remy says, and Nori just nods. Her expressive face is still pained. Quietly furious, Remy calls over the waiter and settles their bill.

"Rachael, it is always a pleasure to see you," he says, rising.

"I'll give you a call after our appointment," Nori says softly. "Bye, Rae." They slip out of the restaurant, leaving behind an angry and slightly chagrined couple.

On the street, Remy says, "Fuck that woman." He hugs Nori. "You're okay, _cher_, we're safe," he reminds her.

"Do you think it's true, what she said? That we made it harder for mutants? Oh, of course we did, for some."

"We helped some, too, _cherie_. And what have you _always_ said about regrets?"

"They're useless," she says, head bowed.

Remy lets out a frustrated breath. "Oh, _cher_, let's get out of here. We have wedding rings to pick out."

She smiles up at him. "Yeah. We do." She stands up on tiptoe to kiss him. "I love you."

"And I am very glad that you do," he replies. He unlocks the bike and they climb on. It doesn't take them long to get to the artisan's studio, but the fresh air and the feel of Remy's warm back against her face help reinvigorate Nori, and she's back to a smiling mood when they arrive. Remy parks and locks the bike before putting his arms around her and twirling her in a circle. They're still laughing when they walk into the gallery, and Teo smiles.

"I _love_ working with happy couples," he says. He has a faint Mexican accent, though his English is perfect. "You are Midori and Henri?"

"Yes," Nori says.

"Beautiful, beautiful. Now. Let me show you some examples, and we will talk." He shows them rings, as well as his little workshop. He coos over Nori's engagement ring and sketches up a matching design, which Nori loves. He promises he can finish their rings well before their planned date, though he scolds them a little for waiting so long to talk to him.

"We called as soon as we heard about your studio!" Nori says. "We were just waiting for the right person to come around."

"Ah, well, I suppose I can forgive you, then."

Remy and Nori are both feeling pretty content when they step out of Teo's studio. But Nori's smile fades when she pulls her phone out of her pocket.

"_Cher_, we don't have to go back and see them. We can just go home. Or go somewhere else."

"No, no, I have to call. I have to try again, for Rachael."

Remy nods. He comes behind her and wraps his arms around her waist. "Well, you just call her, then. We'll do whatever you need to do."

"Remy, how did you get to be so great?"

"Just born this way, I s'pose."

She laughs and calls her friend. "Rae? … yeah, we're done. … Yeah, he was really great. … Yeah, no, I understand... Yeah, it's kind of surprising, I know... I _know_, right? ... Are you sure? We don't want to-... Okay, okay, we'll be there... We're over in Park Slope so it'll be a minute... Okay see you soon. … Love you too. Bye."

She squirms and turns around within Remy's arms, tilting her head back to look up at him. "She says Cecilia's calmed down a little, and we should come over and talk."

"If you're sure you want to."

"I'm sure."

"Just don't let her get you down, _cherie_. You're a kind, brave lady. Don't forget that."

She rises to kiss him. "And _you_ are the best thing that's ever happened to me. Thank you for... for keeping me together."

"It's a mutually beneficial arrangement," he drawls. "I happen to like you together. Now, let's go convince Dr. Cecilia that we aren't out to destroy everything for all mutantkind."

"Shouldn't be too hard, right?" she murmurs. They climb back on Remy's bike and Nori directs him to a ten-story brick building. _I think this is it. I haven't actually been out to her new place._

They look up and see Rachael and Cecilia standing out on the third-floor fire escape. Rachael waves down at them while Remy secures the bike.

"I'll go inside and buzz you in. We're in 3B," Rachael calls down, and Nori opens the door upon hearing the dull _bzzzt_. They walk into a small lobby with a row of mailboxes and a dingy linoleum floor, and they ascend the stairs and knock on 3B. Rachael opens the door and hugs Nori. "I'm so sorry," she whispers.

Nori smiles and Remy maintains a neutral, pleasant expression. "This is a nice place, Rae!" Nori exclaims. There are paintings and photos everywhere, and the living room gets a lot of light. There's an easel, and a brightly-painted keyboard. It's tiny, by Remy's standards, but he knows it's big for New York.

Rachael smiles back and says, "Well, you know, I had to leave Williamsburg after the hipsters took it over." Also, she couldn't afford to hang onto a two bedroom apartment after her roommate had disappeared, but she left that unsaid.

"Well, it's nice. Prospect Heights is nice."

Remy and Nori follow Rachael into the living room. Cecilia climbs in from the fire escape, her face carefully composed.

"Look," she says bluntly. "I'm sorry. I just-I didn't realize. Rachael kind of filled me in a little. It would have been _nice_ if she'd done that _before_, but-but, okay, I didn't know. I mean. You guys know what they say about the Brotherhood of Mutants on the news, right? And I-I just wanted to be left alone. I just wanted to be a doctor. Like it wasn't hard enough being a woman? Being a Puerto Rican? I had to be a mutant, too? And-after the Blackout, everybody knew I was a mutant. And-it was hard. But-but I'm coming to terms with it." She smiles at Rachael.

"I get that," Nori says. "I just wanted to be left alone, too. But-I wasn't. So I made what I thought was the best choice, given my options. I-Magneto took me in. He rescued me from Stryker. And he really believes that what he's doing is best for mutant rights. He is... very persuasive. I never wanted to hurt anybody. But I thought-we thought-we were preventing more people from being hurt, in the future." She's terribly earnest, and Cecilia gives her a small smile.

Remy nods. "Of _course_ the news makes Magneto out to be a bad guy. And he... ain't the nicest guy, no. But not all of us can hide being mutants, eh?" he says, looking right at Cecilia with his red-on-black eyes. "Sometimes you don't have too many choices. Sometimes it seems like a good idea to fight back." He's holding Nori's hand tightly.

Cecilia sighs. "You're right. I-I shouldn't have been so quick to judge. And I should have known that Rachael wouldn't be friends with you if you were such terrible people as I thought."

"I don't know, Cece, I'm friends with some pretty awful people," Rachael says lightly.

"I also think..." Nori starts, then trails off. "I think Magneto is losing it. He...he's been through a lot, and I don't think... well, I think he could really benefit from therapy. Even before we left the Brotherhood, I think he was slipping, and the things I see him doing now..." she shakes her head.

Remy nods. "Yeah, his time with Stryker... really did a number on him."

Nori shivers. She can't keep her empathy in check and she's emitting fear and shyness and discomfort. "Look," she says. "Do you have any other questions for us, Cecilia? We want to get along."

Cecilia narrows her eyes and says, "Just one more question. The Blackout—you said, you said that that guy Stryker was trying to kill all the mutants?"

"He was. He would have, if it weren't for Magneto," Nori says quietly.

"That's what those headaches were about," Remy says. He makes eye contact with Cecilia and focuses his charm a little bit.

"How did it work? What caused it?"

"Uh... I mean, I'm not exactly sure, you know, the details, but Stryker built this machine, and then he kidnapped and drugged a telepath—Charles Xavier—and made him... made him concentrate all his powers on all mutants. And—and he made me help," she says at a voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm sorry," Cecilia says. "I'm sorry, I just—I'm a scientist, I have to know... what are your powers, exactly? I was never clear on that when they talked about you in the news."

"Well, I magnify the powers of other mutants. And I'm an empath. You, uh, you might have noticed that second one."

"Huh," Cecilia says. "Well, what about—the humans? What caused that?"

"Magneto reversed the machine," Nori says softly. "After Remy took me out of it. So it—it wasn't as bad for humans, as for mutants, I guess."

Remy's face is pained, remembering the sight of Nori, drugged and helpless, standing in Stryker's Cerebro. He shakes his head minutely, trying to rid himself of the memory. Nori notices and sends him a little mental wave of reassurance.

"What about you?" Nori asks.

"Oh..." Cecilia says. "I can make kind of like a force field around myself."

"That's a really great power," Nori says, a little jealously. Of course, she can kind of do that now too, but she would have loved to have had that from the get-go.

"Yeah. I guess," Cecilia says. She stifles a yawn. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude, but I just—I've been working night shifts all week, and then this morning I had to go in—"

Nori looks thoughtful. "You know...it isn't really my place, but I think Xavier would probably offer you a job. We need a doctor at the school, and it's a little hard to advertise for a mutant doctor. Or even a human doctor who would treat us like... people."

"I don't know," Cecilia says doubtfully. "I'm not really cut out to be a school nurse."

"It's more than that. Hank does a lot of research too, about, uh, the X-gene, and stuff."

"Hank?" Cecilia asks.

"Dr. Henry McCoy. He's been filling in at the school but it's really too much for him, since he has... other obligations."

"Dr. Henry McCoy works at your school?" Cecilia asks, a little incredulously.

"Yeah," Nori says.

"Oh my God. He is _brilliant_."

"Yeah," Nori repeats, with a smile. She fishes in her purse and pulls out a business card. "Here. Call any time. Come visit, come meet him. I think you would like it there."

Rachael purses her lips. Nori hopes she doesn't get mad about Nori trying to poach her girlfriend, and Nori adds, "Or, you know, if you know any other mutant doctors. But, just... don't tell anyone about the school that you don't trust. Please."

"Of course. Of course," Cecilia says. "Wait, who's Midori?"

"Oh. I am. Uh, my real name is still a little bit wanted by the FBI, or whatever."

"And this Xavier guy knows that?"

"He's the one who got us our fake IDs," Nori says.

"It really is a special school," Rachael says, only a little bit grudgingly.

Nori beams.

"Well... I'll think about it," Cecilia says. "I need to get home and get some sleep. It was nice meeting you. I... appreciate your being willing to talk to me like this."

"Of course," Nori says. "It was nice to meet you, too."

Remy takes a deep breath and forces himself to be forgiving. It's what Nori would want. "Would you like us to walk you home?"

Cecilia grins. "I'll be fine. Nobody can mess with me, remember?"

"Ah. I suppose not," Remy says, remembering her power. "Well—pleasant dreams, then," he says, offering his most charming smile. Cecilia smiles back before turning to kiss Rachael goodbye.

After she leaves, Rachael sighs. "I'm so sorry, you guys. I don't know why I didn't realize—that she would be so freaked out."

Nori shrugs. "She's right. There was a lot of shit about us on the news." She graciously says nothing about Rachael's initial distrust of Remy for similar reasons.

"I guess—I really do get it now," Rachael says. "Why you want to stay at the school."

"Yes."

There's a moment of silence, and then Rachael says, brightly, "So, have you thought about a dress?"

Nori groans. "I don't know. Just, you know, something pretty?"

"Are you thinking vintage?"

"If possible?"

Rachael sighs. "Tell you what, Kiki, I'll hit up all the vintage and thift stores around the city and see what I can find. Then maybe in a couple weeks you can come back and I'll show you a short list? I know how you feel about clothes shopping."

Nori grins. "And I know how _you_ feel about clothes shopping. But seriously, that would be completely amazing."

"I'm mainly doing it because otherwise you would probably show up wearing the outfit you're wearing now, and that would hurt me more than it would hurt you."

Both women laugh, and Remy allows himself to relax a little. The trio chat for a little while longer before Nori decides that they should really go back to Westchester. She embraces Rachael and promises to come back soon to look at dresses.

Out on the sidewalk, Remy says, "So, _cher_, you want to go home?"

"Nope, I want to go get pizza!" She guides Remy to a dumpy looking little place in her old neighborhood. They have to park a block away, since there are so many bicycles chained up near the restaurant. Remy looks at it dubiously, but Nori says, "Thank _God_ it's still open. I promise, Vinnie's has the best pizza."

"Vinnie's?"

"Do _not_ make fun. It is the best."

Inside, Remy sees why Rachael had been teasing Nori about her glasses. Nearly everyone inside the crowded restaurant, which has plastic furniture and red-and-white checkered vinyl tablecloths, is wearing a similar pair.

They order by the slice and he blinks when he sees how enormous the pieces are. Nori teaches him how to fold his pizza, though he can't quite figure out how she's avoided getting grease on her face. "You're right, _cherie_," he says, after his first bite. "This is the best pizza." She looks smug and goes up to the counter to get more.

"Pretty good day, right?" she says as they leave the restaurant.

"Not bad at all," he agrees, leaning down to kiss her before she puts her helmet on.

That evening they sit in the kitchen and drink with Logan. Remy vents a little about Cecilia.

Nori sighs and says, "Yeah. I know. But, you know, it's _hard_ to be a queer woman of color. It's easy for that to make you hard, too. And add to that being a mutant? And an ER doctor? I'm surprised she's not _more_ of a bitch. You don't know, Remy. You don't know how hard it is to get taken seriously. Being bitchy is one way to get it done. And it's _easy_, since you're so stressed out from having to be better, and faster, and tougher than all the white men out there."

Remy raises his eyebrows, and Nori continues, "I mean, I'm a fucking great musician, okay? I've won awards, I've sold a lot of records, I've played at all the coolest music festivals—if not always on the mainstage," she says with a grin. "But if I walk into a guitar shop, and if there's a man behind the counter—and there is always a man behind the counter in guitar shops—and he doesn't recognize me right away, he's going to patronize the shit out of me, tell me I should get silk-and-steel strings because they're easier, when I know I need bronze ones. And if I wanted, I _could_ snap at him and put him in his place. And, okay, I've done that a few times. But that just… that's what people want. They want to think women who are good at things are bitches. So just…think about that, when you think about Dr. Cecilia Reyes."

Remy and Logan both look at her thoughtfully. "Y'know, I think I might like to see you cut somebody down to size," Logan says.

She tosses her hair and grins. "Well, Logan, piss me off and see where it gets you."

He laughs. "Don't think I want to see it that bad."

Remy shakes his head. "You don't."

Nori blinks up at him innocently. "Hey. I don't think I've ever reacted unreasonably to any of your shenanigans."

"I just bet you haven't," Logan says, and Remy can't disagree.

"But seriously, if either of you tries to tell me how to tune my guitar I will fuck your shit _up_," Nori says.

"Wouldn't dream of it, _cher_," Remy says smoothly, and Logan nods in agreement.


	38. Chapter 38

It takes about a month for the rescued mutants to completely detox from the "cure." During that time, Nori sends out a small stack of wedding party invitations, picks up a dress that receives a stamp of approval from both Rachael and Ororo, talks her music class out of performing Green Day's "Time of Your Life" at the graduation ceremony, and manages to persuade exactly one of the mutants to stay at Xavier's. Amara Aquilla, the young Brazilian mutant with the power to control lava, opts to move into the mansion as soon as she's sure that she can keep her molten form under control. The rest return to what homes they have, or to the streets. It breaks Nori's heart to think about the mutants out on the streets, but Xavier sighs and says, "It must be their choice, Nori. If they choose to return, we will certainly welcome them."

The night before they're due to leave, Nori slips down to the Danger Room to say goodbye to everyone. When she comes upstairs she's quiet and withdrawn. Remy rubs her shoulders and says, "Xavier was right, _cher_, they got to choose. When I was a boy I stayed on the streets for a long time rather than go to some church shelter or some such thing. I went with Jean-Luc because I thought it would be on my own terms."

"Here could be on their terms," Nori says.

"Could be. But they got to believe that. Give them time. Maybe they'll be back. Maybe they won't. But we tried, _non_? You did right by them."

She's still troubled, and Remy sighs. "You can't help people 'til they're ready to be helped."

"Yeah. Yeah. You're right," Nori says. "I need a drink."

Remy slips next door to get a bottle of white wine from Logan's room, which has a mini-fridge. (Remy had taken over the responsibility of purchasing alcohol after realizing that Nori was completely satisfied with Franzia, which offends Remy's delicate palate. Not that he'd say no to it if there weren't any other options, but… there _are_ options.) He opens it and pours them each a glass.

"Where's Logan?" he asks.

She closes her eyes for a second and says, "Living room, with Rogue." She thinks about sending him a telepathic invitation, but decides she'd rather be alone with Remy right now. She holds up her glass. "Let's toast. To being ready to be helped."

He smiles and clinks his glass to hers. "Love you," he says.

"Love you too," she replies. They split the bottle between them, enough to give Remy a gentle buzz and get Nori moderately tipsy. They playfully make love and fall asleep feeling happy and relaxed.

In the morning, Scott and Ororo take the Blackbird to transport the recovered mutants back to their requested cities. Nori helps Amara settle into a bedroom up on the third floor, and she gives the woman a tour. It's been over a year since Nori had received her own tour of the mansion. It feels more like home than Brooklyn had felt on her recent trip back, though she'd lived there for much longer.

She ends Amara's tour in the living room. They watch TV and work on a jigsaw puzzle, and as students pass in and out, Nori introduces them to Amara. It's almost—but not quite—funny to her to remember how terrified she'd been to meet the students. They're such good kids.

Amara says, wonderingly, "I had no idea there were so many mutants! I thought… I thought I was a freak…"

"No, Amara, you're _special_," Nori says.

"There are plenty of mutants, even though humans keep trying to destroy us," Marrow says. Marrow had not been very successful at hiding her disdain for the fact that Amara had volunteered for the cure. After chatting with her, though, they've become friendly.

Nori bites her lip and focuses on the puzzle, but an idea is brewing in the back of her mind while Marrow and Amara talk.

That night, she proposes her idea to Remy. "Hey, have you heard of the It Gets Better Project?" she asks.

"_Non_. What is it?"

"It's just this thing online that Dan Savage started, to address the high suicide rate for gay teens. Basically it's a bunch of videos that queer adults—or allies—made and put online, telling kids their stories. That they survived and got past high school and are happy adults. To give them hope, that, you know, it gets better."

"Hmm."

"What if we did something like that for mutant kids?"

"Don't know, _cher_… how many people you gonna find willing to make videos like that?"

"Maybe just audio? With no names? But don't you think that would help? I mean, I know when Yuri was in high school, we didn't know any other mutants. I'm sure it's different now, with the internet. But I don't think there's anything like this."

"You know more about that stuff than I do, _cher_."

"I think I might ask Scott what he thinks, about me organizing something like that."

"You don't have enough on your plate?"

"Well, that's the beauty of Web 2.0. Somebody just has to get the ball rolling and then nobody has to be in charge, really. It wouldn't take that much time to get it started, I don't think."

Remy smiles. "My little propaganda minister."

"I'm _serious_, Remy."

"I know you are, _ma mie_. I t'ink it's a good idea. And if anyone can do it, you can."

"Good, then." She sighs and curls up to sleep. Remy holds her and grins to himself, wondering what the odds are that the heir to the Thieves Guild would end up with this woman who seems to genuinely believe that music and the internet can save lives. But then, Remy's always been able to beat the odds.

At breakfast the next morning, Nori asks Scott if she can meet with him in his office. He looks surprised, but agrees. She proposes her idea and pulls up some It Gets Better Project videos to show him.

He sighs. "It is a good idea, Nori. I think it would mean a lot to mutant kids out there. But I don't want to risk endangering the school."

"So we don't mention the school. And I can use a secure proxy IP address to post stuff from here, so it can't be traced. And _hopefully_, it won't just be from us, you know? It'll be mutants everywhere. Would… would you do one?"

"Well… of course. Yes." He hesitates. "Did you talk to the Professor about this?"

"No. Should I?"

He shrugs. "I mean, we're adults, but it might not hurt to get his opinion."

"Yeah, okay. Would—could you do a video today? As an example, like?"

"Sure. I mean, I've never done anything like this, though."

She beams at him. "Just be yourself, Scott. Does your laptop have a camera?"

"Yeah, but I've never used it."

She gives him a quick tutorial and says, "Anyway, the important thing is the audio, because I can totally replace the visual with anything."

He shrugs. "I don't mind if people see my face. The glasses make it kind of obvious when people see me out and about, y'know? It's not really a secret."

"All right. Well. Um, I'll leave you be, then, and when you're ready I can take it on my flash drive and process it."

Next, Nori pays a visit to Xavier. Again, she explains her idea, the It Gets Better Project, and gives him a crash course in social media. "I mean, I know telepathy is useful, but the internet is _really_ the way to reach out to mutant kids," she says earnestly. "It's changed everything so much over the last twenty years. Hell, the last five years."

He nods, slowly. "I think this is a good idea. I do not believe it will endanger the school to start the project here, so long as we do not identify the school."

"Hey. What if I give the videos to Rachael? She can claim the project, be its public face. If she wants. But she's out as a mutant and a performer. It might even be good for her career. Or—would it be dangerous for her?"

Xavier smiles. "That _is_ an idea to consider. Perhaps you should call her and let her decide for herself whether or not it would be a good idea."

"Yeah. You're right. Okay. Thanks, Professor," she says. "Uh, would you want to do a video?"

"Let me think about that."

"Of course."

"And Nori?"

"Yes?"

"Can you monitor the responses? See if there are any young mutants who would—particularly benefit from the school?"

"Oh, of course."

"Thank you."

She decides to sit outside and call Rachael on her cell phone. She excitedly proposes the idea and Rachael says, "I mean… it sounds exactly like something you would do on your blog."

"Well, I can't be the one to start it. I kind of blew a lot of social capital on making videos for the Brotherhood, you know. But you, you're clean."

"I don't have anything like as many Twitter followers as you did."

"That's because you hardly ever use Twitter. Something like this, though—you start it, and people will spread it. You have enough to get it off the ground. I just want to make sure you'd feel—safe, leading it."

"I mean, everyone already knows I'm a mutant, you know? Sometimes I cover my hair when I travel, but in my professional life… I'm out."

"I know."

"Okay, Nori. It's a good idea. I'll make a video too, and I'll ask some people. Cece will probably do one, and Dazzler, and Lila…"

"Great, Rae! Get as many people as you can! I'll upload some videos from here and send you the links."

The two women chat briefly about Nori's upcoming wedding and about Rachael's relationship with Cecilia before they hang up and get to work on their respective roles in the video project. Nori flits around the mansion, enthusiastically explaining her idea to Ororo before it's time for lunch, and then Nori's afternoon music classes. She thinks about asking the students but decides to wait. They can contribute after they start seeing initial reactions to this project. After her classes, she goes down to find Hank in the medbay.

"Ah, hello, Nori. I need to talk to you."

"Oh! Well, I'm here."

"I really should have had this conversation with you sooner, but things were so busy with those so-called 'cured' mutants…"

"Of course. Of course. Is everything okay?"

Hank sighs and puts two large images up on the wall. "The image on the left is your CT scan when you arrived here, over a year ago. The one on the right is from last month."

She blinks at them. "The new one is… glowier."

"Yes. Your more recent CT scan shows much higher levels of brain function than when you first arrived, which is of course very encouraging. However, I want you to look at these two areas," he says, indicating a small dark spot in the bottom middle of the image.

"I'm looking?"

"This, I believe, is an area of your brain that is largely concerned with controlling your mutant power."

"It's glowier now? But still not that glowy?"

Hank pauses, and Nori thinks he's debating whether or not to correct her usage of the word "glowy" to describe her CT scan. Apparently he decides against it, because he just nods and says, "Yes. As you know, this area was damaged when you were injured last year. It appears that to some extent it is healing, which is unusual, but… well, we don't really know what 'normal' is in a situation like this."

"Okay. So… I mean, that's good news, right?"

"Yes, I believe so. However, that is not the only news I have."

Her eyes widen and she says, "Well, go on."

He points out a few other spots on her more recent brain scan and says, "The medical profession is only just beginning to study the long-term impacts of concussions. Recently, there have been some studies about football players and boxers. Basically—it's grim. It can cause depression—which I know you have already struggled with—severe memory loss, dementia. Here, you can already see some new spots of swelling. I'd like to do another scan of you today to follow-up. But, given the head injuries you've already received, I would like to recommend that you remove yourself from the X-Men."

"But… I mean, I can shield myself."

"You didn't last month."

"That was a dumb mistake. I won't do it again."

Hank sighs. "Why don't we try another CT scan so I can get a better idea of the damage before we discuss this further?"

"Yeah, okay," she says. Hank preps the machine and she lies flat on the padded table. She lies still while white lights click around her.

"Perfect," Hank says after a few minutes. "You're done." He presses the button that releases her from the machine, and she climbs out.

He's already looking at the image and she says, "What? I thought it took time to like, develop, or something?"

"In hospitals, it takes time for someone who is capable of reading the image to access it and interpret it. Here, there is no need for delay."

"Nice."

He nods, absently, staring at an image of Nori's brain. She watches quietly, and finally he says, "I stand by my earlier diagnosis. Look," he says, tapping at a few spots.

"You know that doesn't really mean anything to me, right?" She sighs. "I mean, I know you're a doctor. I trust you. It's just… I mean, I want to help people."

"You won't be able to help anyone if you end up with early-onset dementia, Noriko."

"I mean… how likely is that?"

"Extremely unlikely if you receive no further head injuries. Each additional concussion you receive will exponentially increase your chances of developing further complications, including dementia."

She sighs and studies her fingernails, pushing back a few cuticles. Gently, Hank says, "You know, Nori, Charles never fights with the X-Men either, but that doesn't mean he isn't part of the team. It really is miraculous that you have made the recovery you have, Nori. The original brain trauma you received from the FOH was… severe. You are lucky to be standing here. Why press your luck further?"

"Yeah. Okay."

Hank says, "I will talk to Scott about this, to make sure he understands."

"Okay. Hey. Um… have you… do you have any ideas, about my depression? I mean, I've been fine, but… I don't want it to come back." Her face looks haunted. "Ever."

Hank sighs. "As you know, there is no easy test for depression, although there are certain areas of the brain that tend to show reduced activity when a person is experiencing depression. You show activity in those areas, which is good. I… this is not my area of expertise, and it is only a theory, but… you have said that psychotropic medication interferes with your abilities, right?"

"Big time."

"Have you experienced any depressive spells since your powers manifested?"

She frowns. "Well… not exactly. Not the way it used to be. Before. I've had wicked anxiety—which I guess you know about. And, just… I've been scattered. But never… never depression, no."

He nods. "Well, your anxiety has a few pretty clearly defined causes. And your spells of anxiety have been much less frequent, correct?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Excellent. Now, as I was saying, I have a theory… again, it is only a theory, and one difficult to prove. There are a lot of variables that are difficult to measure. But I think it is a definite possibility that a side effect of your mutation may be to correct the chemical imbalance that causes depression."

Her eyes widen. "Wow, _really_?"

"Well, as I said, it is—"

"—only a theory, right. But that would be _awesome_," she says.

Hank smiles. "I hope that it is true. But, of course, see me—or Charles—at any time if you do begin to feel symptoms of depression."

She bites her lip and nods.

"Nori, what did you want to speak to me about? Before?"

"Um… oh!" she exclaims. She'd almost forgotten. Now she puts aside thoughts of dementia and depression and enthusiastically tells Hank about the video project.

"Well. Yes. I certainly would have liked to see something like that as a teenager," Hank says wistfully.

"So… would you do one? I know you're already kind of a public figure, from your government work."

"Yes, of course."

She smiles brightly. "Great! Do you need any help setting up a video?"

"I think I can manage," Hank says drily.

Nori shrugs. "I mean, I know you're a genius and all, but I just thought I'd ask! Let me know when you're done and I'll put it on my flash drive."

"Of course. Do you have any other questions for me? About your condition?"

"Uh, I don't know. I'm supposed to avoid getting hit on the head, right?"

"Indeed."

"Anything else?"

"No, that's pretty much it."

"Think I got it, then. Thanks, Hank."

"You are quite welcome. I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news."

She shrugs. "But the _good_ news is that I still have a brain."

Hank laughs. "Yes. We do have definite proof of that." She waves goodbye as she slips out of the lab. She glances at her watch and reaches out briefly with her mind. Remy should be done with his classes and training. She finds him outside with Logan. She assumes they're smoking, and she wavers. It's been a few months since her last cigarette. She doesn't usually crave them anymore, but damn if one doesn't sound great right now. And if she can't damage her brain anymore, she might as well hit up her lungs, right?

Sure enough, the wrought iron bench nearest the mansion has small wafts of smoke rising from it. She easily squeezes in between Remy and Logan, who have positioned themselves at opposite ends of the bench. _Men!_ she thinks, with a mental eyeroll. Both turn to look at her, slightly surprised and slightly concerned. Ever since she'd quit smoking, she'd quit spending time with them when they were indulging.

"Remy, can I bum a cig?" she asks.

"Course, _cher_," he says, lighting one for her. "Everything okay?"

She takes a drag and sighs. "Oh, I don't know," she says, and spills everything Hank had told her.

Both men swear and look at her with concern. "But you're all right? I mean, long as nothing else happens?" Remy asks.

"Yeah, I guess. I don't know. He kept pointing out dark spots on my brain which I guess isn't normal, but he said it looked like in places my brain activity was regenerating or something? Which is good."

Remy squeezes her knee. "You'll be fine, _cher_. Just gotta stop pickin' so many fights with people, _non_?"

She laughs. "Well, I'll see what I can do."

Logan says, with difficulty, "Darlin', I'm sorry if I—it's—"

She shakes her head. "No, Logan, you tried to protect me. You've nothing to apologize for. It's fine. Just one of those things." She's smoking the cigarette slowly, enjoying it. "I guess I don't really mind, not being on the team. It's not like—it wasn't really my cup of tea, you know?"

"Just 'cause you're not fighting don't mean you're not on the team, darlin'," Logan says.

"Just 'cause you're not in the Danger Room don't mean you're not fighting," Remy corrects.

She grins at that. "Ain't that the truth," she says.

Remy gives her a quick, questioning glance. She shrugs and smiles. She's okay, really. More than okay. She takes a final drag from her cigarette and grinds it out under her heel. She rests her head on Remy's shoulder and takes Logan's hand. She feels calm in a way that has nothing to do with the nicotine in her veins.

NOTE: OK, I'm not a neurologist, but I **have** watched a lot of episodes of House with my nitpicky friend who is an actual doctor, which I believe makes me as qualified to write medical drama as most people on the internet are, if not more so.

Also, in case you haven't heard of it (are you new at the Internet? Welcome!) the It Gets Better Project is real. It's at ItGetsBetter dot org.


	39. Chapter 39

NOTE: So this whole story is rated M but this is probably, like, the M-iest chapter. Whether this is a warning or an enticement is up to you ;)

* * *

><p>It turns out that Nori doesn't miss training in the Danger Room very much at all. She finds plenty of ways to fill her time. Remy persuades her to start playing Ultimate Frisbee with him and the kids outside, which she enjoys. She can't jump very high, but she's small and quick, and chasing a small disc around the grounds never gives her flashbacks to her time with Stryker.<p>

Xavier also starts intensifying their telepathy practices. She still has nowhere near his raw power, but her usage of her powers becomes much more subtle and nuanced. He shows her how she could theoretically erase someone's memory.

"Oh, no, that—that doesn't seem right," she says.

"I am glad to hear you say that, Nori. But nevertheless, there are times when it… may be the lesser of two evils. It is a skill you should know, even if you never need to use it."

It frightens Nori to think about the school without Xavier's presence, but they both know she's being groomed to one day take over as the school's resident telepath. Xavier isn't getting any younger. He explains to her how he searches for mutants in trouble, how he sometimes uses his power to smooth things over with authorities. She still hasn't used Cerebro, and she's not sure when she will. The first time he mentions the possibility she'd had a panic attack, remembering what she'd helped him do in Stryker's Cerebro. He'd had to block her empathy for her while she sat on the floor of his study and hyperventilated. They haven't talked about it since.

She also spends a lot of time on her laptop. Rachael—with behind the scenes help from Nori—has officially launched her mutant outreach video project, which they're calling the Not Alone Project. They'd debated calling it the "You're Not a Freak Project," since "freak" is one of the pejoratives most-commonly hurled at mutants. But ultimately they don't want it to be off-putting to mutants, who don't need to hear that word more. And the aim is more about building a sense of community than about making mutants feel "normal."

The project doesn't gain quite the momentum of the It Gets Better Project—but then, there are more LGBTQ people out there than there are mutants. They still manage to gather a fairly impressive collection of videos from both adults and older teens. After the students at Xavier's see the project, they ask Nori for help making their own videos. She's happy to oblige—with the unfortunate reminder that they say nothing about the school. It seems hypocritical to Nori, since she knows that Xavier's is the very thing that makes life livable for most of the kids—and for her, really. But she knows it isn't worth risking the school's security just for the sake of honesty in YouTube videos.

Her favorite videos to watch are the ones from strangers, the ones who have formed tiny secret societies in dive bars and Unitarian churches and college multi-purpose rooms around the world, the ones who have found love and happiness among humans.

There are also some heart-wrenching videos from parents whose mutant children ran away from home, weeping, well-meaning mothers who insist that it doesn't bother them that their kids are "like that," they just want them to come home, please. She hopes some of the runaways manage to see the videos, though she's not sure how convinced they will be. Still, perhaps the videos will prevent a few future runaways.

The project also gets Rachael a little bit of national attention, which makes Nori happy. She'd always been a more popular musician than her friend, for a lot of reasons—her indie rock music was more accessible than Rae's jazz, she toured much more often than Rachael (who hated to leave New York), her public persona was friendlier and more welcoming than Rachael's—and, of course, Rachael was out as a mutant before the mutant rights movement had made even as much progress as it had now.

She listens to Rachael on NPR and realizes how much her friend has been changed by everything that's happened to Nori. The pair of them had always been activists, but while Nori's grown harder and more militant, Rachael's grown softer, better able to make connections. They both want to make the world a better place for mutants, and they're still figuring out how to do it.

Remy says, "She sounds real good, _cher_. Hope people are listening."

"Me, too," she says.

She doesn't devote much time at all to preparing for the wedding, which is quickly approaching. She figures she'll bake a bunch of cupcakes the day before, and her mom and niece agreed to make veggie sushi, gyoza dumplings, and edamame for everyone, so, what's there to worry about? A week before their wedding, she and Remy go to the courthouse to get their marriage license. It costs $40, which Remy pays in cash. "Seems like a pretty good investment," he says, giving a charming smile to the middle-aged woman behind the desk.

She smiles up at them. "It'll last a lifetime!" She barely glances at their fake IDs and birth certificates before putting an official seal on their license. "There you go. Congratulations!"

"Thank you!" Nori beams. She tucks the form in her purse and wraps an arm around Remy's waist on their way out to the parking lot. He bends down and gives her a long kiss outside her car, earning a whistle from a passerby. In response, Nori blushes and Remy pulls her even closer to him. He's never minded an audience. She buries her face in Remy's chest until she's sure the whistler has passed, while Remy laughs and gently teases her.

"C'mon, _cher_, ain't nothing wrong with an almost-married couple having an intimate moment."

"We're in a parking lot."

"I see. And where would you rather be?"

"Let's go _home_, Remy." He gives her one more kiss before unlocking the car.

Inside the car, she grins wildly. Remy glances over at her and grins back. "I love you," she says.

"Love you too."

She pulls their marriage license out of her purse and studies it. She'd opted to take Remy's name—which, on paper, wasn't even his name. Still, she'd weighed her feminist philosophy against tradition and decided that she liked the symbolism of creating a new family unit, with a shared name, more than she liked hanging on to her last name. Which on paper wasn't even her real last name, and in principle was her father's last name anyway. And it wasn't like she had used Oyama professionally, or ever could again.

Remy had told her it was her decision and it didn't matter to him—but she didn't need to be a telepath to know that he liked the idea of her taking his name.

"I'm going to be Midori Chevalier," she says. "That sounds like a drink."

He laughs. "You're gonna be my Nori."

"I already am that." She sighs. "It's kind of ridiculous to go through all these hoops with our fake identities, isn't it? I mean, we could just put rings on and call ourselves married and it would have roughly the same legal standing."

"Well, I do believe the state of New York is running low on funds. As patriotic citizens it is our duty to support them through the purchase of marriage licenses."

"License_s_? Who else are you planning to marry?"

"Just you, but I thought maybe we could get some better fake names and try it again."

She giggles. "Well, there's an idea."

Abruptly serious, Remy says, "Any kind of marriage is just names on paper, _cher_, and we don't have to do it if you don't want to. But I want to stand up and tell everyone we know how much I love you. And, I want to see that dress you've got hidden in Ororo's room."

She smirks. "Don't worry, love, you'll see the dress. No, I wasn't trying to say we should call it off. I just thought I should make a token reference to the absurdity of it. But love is absurd, isn't it? And I mean that in the best way possible."

"You should write greeting cards, _cher_."

"Ever the entrepreneur, Remy."

They're both still laughing when they walk into the mansion. Marrow and Amara are watching TV in the living room. The two women greet them, and they stop to chat for a minute. Nori happily tells the women that they've picked up their marriage license. Amara beams and excitedly congratulates them. Marrow nods and says, "How nice" in an icy tone.

Nori winces slightly and says, "Well, um, thanks, guys, see you later!"

Once they're upstairs, Nori giggles and says, "Uh, I guess you were right about Marrow having a crush on you! Not that I blame her."

"Do you want to un-invite her to our wedding?"

"Yeah, if she could just hang out in the basement while we eat cake, that would be great." They both laugh and Remy hugs her. She sighs and uses her TK to pull over a cookbook. "Hey. What cupcakes should I make?"

He glances at the book: _Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World_. "You're making _vegan_ cupcakes, _cher_?" He hadn't even known what the word "vegan" meant before he'd met Nori.

"Um, yeah, and they're going to be awesome."

He tries to stifle a sigh and she elbows him and points at a page. "I've made these carrot cake cupcakes before, and they _rule_," she says enthusiastically. "But I'm going to make like ten batches so I want to make at least three or four kinds."

"I wouldn't say no to red velvet cupcakes," he says. He frowns at the recipe. Soy milk? Apple cider vinegar? In cake?

"Perfect," she says. "Don't worry, you can never taste vinegar in baked goods. I mean unless you put in too much. It just helps it rise. Or something, I don't really know the science of it. But it works." She purses her lips. "Do you have a recipe you want me to use? Like I said, I'm making a bunch."

"Nah, _cher_, any of these will be fine."

"I can tell you're skeptical, but trust me. These are gonna be great."

"If they're as sweet as you, I'll eat a dozen."

She groans and hides her face in her hands. "You!"

He laughs and rubs her shoulders. "Tell you what, love, you be in charge of the food and I will be in charge of the liquor."

"Don't forget that most of our wedding guests are under the age of 18."

"That is true. But _one_ of our wedding guests is Logan."

"Yeah, so, get a lot."

They laugh. Nori devotes herself to the cookbook and starts making a list of ingredients. Remy watches her with a grin and then starts playing solitaire. On Wednesday, they goto the grocery store and pick up huge quantities of flour, sugar, Earth Balance, soy milk, and other things that Remy is not at all convinced should go in cupcakes. They go to the liquor store and get champagne, beer, and wine. Remy forces Nori away from the boxed wine.

"It's so much more practical," she says.

"It is our wedding day, _cher_, and we will drink things that come in bottles. With _corks_."

"All right, all right." He does concede to her request for sparkling cider for the kids.

Thursday morning, Rachael arrives at the mansion. She'd picked up the rings for them and she breathlessly hands them over as soon as she arrives. "My God, you guys, I was so nervous about carrying these! They're beautiful! Take them!"

Nori laughs and opens the boxes. "Let's try them on," she says.

"If they don't fit, what exactly do you plan to do about it?" Remy asks.

She shrugs. "We'll figure something out." Luckily, Teo's work was good, and the rings fit perfectly. They slide them back into the boxes and save them for the next day. Then Nori whisks Rachael off to the kitchen to start baking. Remy occasionally pops in to check on their progress. Nori gives him an early coconut cupcake and his eyes widen.

"_Cher_, I am sorry I ever doubted your vegan cookbook."

'That's right you are." She grins at him. "Hey, you gotta little bit of frosting—"

"What? Where?" he asks, deliberately smearing more frosting just under his lips.

"Noriko Oyama, if you lick that off him I am going back to Brooklyn right now," Rachael warns.

Remy and Nori both pout and Rachael rolls her eyes. "You know what, I'm going out to my car for a second. Just, please be normal when I get back here."

She washes her hands and leaves the kitchen. "Now," Remy murmurs, "You were saying I had something on my face?"

"Mmm. Just a little bit." He reaches a finger into a bowl and grabs more frosting. They laugh and lick frosting off of each other.

They're making out when they hear Rachael say loudly, "So, I'm just heading back into the kitchen now. Just coming in to make a bunch of cupcakes and not look at anyone violating health codes." Nori laughs and takes a step backward.

"Are you kidding me?" Rachael asks. "You both have frosting on you now. Unbelievable."

Nori bats her eyelashes and wipes her face with a paper towel. "Sorry, Rae."

"Whatever. I'm glad you guys are happy, I guess. Um, I brought you guys this," she says, handing Nori a cardboard box.

She opens it and finds a small round cake. It's beautifully decorated and has hand-painted wedding figures on top. She's given the groom red-on-black eyes and the bride black hair and a pink dress.

"You're the best, Rae. This is adorable."

"I thought, you know, everyone else could eat the cupcakes, but you guys could have this for cake-cutting and all that ceremonial stuff."

"Thank you, Rachael," Remy says formally. "And thank you for all your help."

"You're welcome," Rachael says. "It was pretty fun to make."

Remy kisses the top of Nori's head and slips out of the kitchen. Logan finds him and says, "Hey, Cajun, you want to spar?"

"Well, why not?"

He follows his friend down to the basement and they throw each other around for a while. Logan's healing factor means they'll never quite be evenly matched. Still, their bouts are always satisfying. Afterward, still sweaty, Logan says, "So. Getting married tomorrow?"

"That is the plan, _mon frere_."

"Was I supposed to organize a bachelor party or something?"

Remy snorts. "What, you, me, Hank, and Scott at a strip club?"

"Hmm."

"Maybe we can go out to Harry's after dinner."

"Fine by me."

At dinner, the teens are bouncing with excitement about tomorrow's festivities. Nori plays coy and refuses to tell the girls anything about her dress. "All I'm gonna tell you is that by the end of the day, you can all call me Ms. LeBeau."

"That's gonna be weird," Jubilee says.

"I won't mind if it takes you guys awhile to get used to it."

"Can we drink champagne?" Warren asks.

"Uh, you have to ask Mr. Summers."

"My parents let me drink champagne at business parties and stuff," Warren says.

"Yeah, you have to ask Mr. Summers," Nori says. She personally doesn't care, but she thinks Scott might. Or maybe it's okay for teens to drink at weddings? Her own parents had been so strict that she's found out that her own sense of what teens should and shouldn't be doing is seriously out of line with the school's actual rules, so her policy is to defer everything to Scott, even if it seems obvious.

"Where are you guys going on your honeymoon?" Rogue asks.

"Hawaii. Kauai," Nori says. It had been Remy's idea, but he'd quickly sold her on it.

"Oh, pretty," Dani says.

"We're signed up to go to surf school! I always wanted to learn how to surf," Nori says.

Rachael looks up from her side conversation with Piotr and laughs. "It's true. She actually bought Blue Crush on DVD. And that movie is terrible."

"I know it is, but they look _so cool_, Rae. It's going to be _awesome_."

"Are you afraid of sharks?" Rogue asks.

"Girlfriend, I can take a shark," Nori says.

The girls laugh, though a flicker of concern crosses Rachael's face. At another table, Remy, Logan, Ororo, and Hank are cheerfully chatting about the upcoming wedding. Scott hasn't turned up at dinner. He's been putting up a forced show of goodwill, but everyone knows how hard it is for him to see a wedding at the mansion, one that isn't between him and Jean. Earlier in the week, Nori had quietly pulled him aside and told him that she'd understand if he didn't want to come to their wedding.

He'd sighed and said, "Nori, you know I'm happy for you two. Of course I want to come. It's just—hard."

She'd smiled sympathetically. "I know, Scott." She gave him a quick hug and said, "Just take care of yourself, okay? And it won't hurt our feelings at all if you just need to take a personal day on Friday."

"Thank you, Nori," he'd said, before walking away abruptly. She'd told Remy and Logan about it, and they'd both shrugged.

"I think he'll go, for the kids if nothin' else," Logan had said. Now, though, they weren't sure. And it wasn't that they wanted Scott there, exactly—they got along with him well enough, but if he had simply been out of town on the day of their wedding, Nori would have accepted it—but the thought that their day of happiness would be so painful to their friend was unpleasant. She sighs and reminds herself that some things are simply out of her control, and she tunes back in to the conversation to find that the topic has shifted to graduation dresses. Rachael is listening with interest and offering accessory ideas.

"You guys, you all have to wear black robes," she says.

"But _after_ graduation, we can take the robes _off_," Jubilee says. "Duh."

"Yeah, Nori. Duh," Rachael says.

Nori laughs. "My bad."

After dinner, Rachael and Nori play music together in the living room for a smattering of students, but mainly for themselves. Remy and Logan stick around for a few songs, but slip out for a beer or three at Harry's.

At the bar, Logan's quiet. Well—he's always quiet, or at least quiet compared to Remy, but this is different. Remy frowns, thinking about some conversations he's had with Nori about Logan. The gruff Canadian is his best friend at the mansion, aside from Nori. He's always had fond memories of the man from their attack on Three Mile Island, and his respect and affection for him have only grown since they came to stay at Xavier's. And he and Nori both find him more than a little attractive.

For a while, he gamely chats about cupcakes, wine, graduation, Hawaii, anything that crosses his mind, but it's like he's just talking to himself. After his third beer, he finally blurts, "Y'know, Logan, after me'n Nori are married, it ain't gonna change anything between the three of us."

Logan snorts. "The three of us?"

Remy looks at Logan through half-closed eyes and says, "Let's get back to the mansion." He drains the rest of his beer and Logan shrugs. They settle the tab and make the short trip home. Upstairs, Remy maneuvers Logan into Remy and Nori's room. Nori's sitting up in bed, wearing a lacy camisole and reading glasses, an issue of Rolling Stone in hand. She beams when they enter.

"My two favorite boys," she says. "How was your bachelor party, love?"

"So many strippers, so little time," Remy says. "Though, of course, none of them held a candle to you."

"Of course not," she says, rising to kiss him on the lips. Then she turns and kisses Logan on the lips.

Startled, he backs away. "Hey, darlin', you're getting married tomorrow."

"I know what I'm doing," she says, pulling his face down to hers and kissing him again. Remy watches with interest, and Nori links the three of them telepathically.

"Jesus," Logan says, completely overwhelmed by the sensations. The room is reeking of pheromones, and he can tell from the networked thoughts that this is something the couple has talked about, something they want. With him. They want him in their lives, in their bed. Still, he asks, "You ever done anything like this before?"

"Not with two men," Nori says, and the mental image that brings up sends blood straight to Logan's cock. She smiles. She takes both men by the hand and guides them over to the bed. She sets her reading glasses on the table and watches as Remy unbuttons Logan's plaid shirt. She's breathing excitedly and her pulse quickens when Remy kisses Logan. It's different from the way he kisses her; it's hard and fierce. She likes it very much. She crawls over and starts planting kisses on the back of Logan's neck, teasing his earlobes and tracing circles on the small of his back with her hand. Logan is so different from Remy. Remy is tall and lean and neat, and Logan is shorter and stockier and hairier. She wishes Remy didn't still have his shirt on. Logan catches the thought. He pops a single claw and slices Remy's shirt off of him without pulling his mouth away from Remy's.

Nori catches her breath at the sight of that, and Remy telepathically protests, _That was one of my favorite shirts!_

_They're all your favorites,_ Nori replies, amused and a little exasperated. She slips a hand down her panties and fingers herself while she watches Logan and Remy go at it.

Abruptly, Logan pulls away from Remy and says to Nori, "Now, darlin, you're not feeling left out, are you?"

"Just enjoying the view," she says, her face flushed. Logan regards her for a moment before tugging at her camisole. She obligingly moves her arms to let him pull it off of her.

"Beautiful," he murmurs. She straddles his lap, feeling his hard cock under her, and she kisses him. Then she pulls away and laughs.

"What?" Logan asks, suddenly self-conscious.

"It tickles," she says, indicating his copious body hair. "I like it, though," she adds, running a hand down his torso. She bends down and unbuckles his belt, throwing it to the floor. She unzips his jeans and runs a light hand over his cock.

He closes his eyes. "God, Nori," he says, and then, "Unh!" when she takes him into her mouth. Remy takes advantage of this moment to divest himself of the rest of his clothes, not wanting to risk further help from Logan in that area. Then he kneels behind Nori and idly pets her, his clever fingers tracing patterns any place he can reach, occasionally triggering a small whimper or moan from her—which translates into a stuttered moan from Logan. It's like playing Telephone, and Remy's quite enjoying himself.

So's Logan, and he manages to spit out, "Ah—I'm gonna—"

Nori glances up and meets his eyes as he shudders and comes. When he's finished, she rubs her cheek against his hairy thigh and sighs. Then she pulls herself up on her knees and kisses Remy. Her mouth tastes familiar but different, and it drives Remy crazy. He kisses her harder, probing, tasting. Logan watches, dazed. As their neighbor, he'd heard, smelled, and occasionally felt (when Nori forgot to shield) his friends fucking, but he'd never seen it. He thought he was about to.

Remy murmurs something in French, the general idea of which is clear to all of them. In English, he says, "Yeah, _cher_? You want me to fuck you?"

"Mm, yes, please."

"How do you want it?" he asks, teasing her nipples between his thumb and forefinger.

Her eyes are wide and glassy as she says, "Now, please." Logan doesn't understand how Remy can deny any request issued by that sweet, breathy voice.

Remy leans forward and kisses her neck, her earlobes, and he whispers in her ear—though of course Logan can hear it too—"Well, _cher_, I think if you get on your hands and knees, it would give Logan quite the view. You want that?"

She pants and positions herself according to Remy's suggestion. He'd been right, and Logan, blessed with a healing factor, grows instantly hard at the sight. Remy rolls on a condom and slips into Nori. Logan can smell and see how wet she is, and he sighs. In public, Remy is always the more aggressive of the two, always the one pressing for a kiss or sliding his hand up her thigh while Nori blushes and squirms away. In private, though, Remy's in control, almost… calculating, while Nori is unabashed and shameless. It's a kind of game, Logan knows; one where they both—or all three of them—win.

Remy fucks her at an unhurried pace and he reaches forward to play with her nipples while he does it. Nori's making soft little sounds and Remy is murmuring to her in that honeyed voice of his. At first Logan honestly isn't sure if he's fantasizing or receiving some kind of telepathic message, but it grows more insistent and he realizes it's the latter. He obeys and moves closer to the couple, close enough to put his hands over her small breasts. His hands are bigger, rougher than Remy's and, overwhelmed by sensation, Nori soon quivers and calls out Remy's name. The force of her empathy almost makes Logan come right then. Remy holds out for a few more thrusts before shuddering and collapsing against Nori.

They recover and reposition themselves. Remy and Nori lie spooned together, Remy's arms wrapped around her waist. Logan comes to lie across from them and Nori kisses him, tangling her fingers in his hair.

"Did you like that?" Remy murmurs, and it isn't clear who he's talking to, but both Logan and Nori say yes. He reaches out past Nori's waist, and begins stroking Logan's cock with his long, slender fingers.

Logan jerks and says, "Jesus," but Remy doesn't stop. Logan doesn't want him to stop.

Nori whispers, "What do you want, Logan? Show us."

There are a lot of conflicting images in Logan's head, but Nori gets the idea. She wriggles out of Remy's arms and lies back on the bed. She arches her back, prettily exposing her throat to him. He growls softly and climbs over her, nibbling and sucking at her neck, her collarbone. His beard scratches her smooth skin and she squirms. Logan traces her tattoos with his tongue, tasting her warm skin. Remy watches and idly strokes his cock. Nori telepathically calls him closer and she reaches out and strokes him with her right hand. Her left hand is in Logan's hair, and her ankles are wrapped around him. He makes his way further down her torso and her writhing grows more dramatic. Remy's using their link to give Logan ideas, and she whines, "Please, Logan." He delicately laps between her legs and she moans. She reaches a hand down to her clit, but Logan stops and puts it on her hip.

"Not yet, darlin'."

She hisses, and he chuckles before returning to his task. She tastes so good. Finally, he pulls away. His cock is almost painfully hard, and watching her frustrated writhing doesn't help at all. He asks, his voice rough, "What do you want, darlin'?"

"Oh, please," she whimpers, sending him an array of mental images.

"Please what?" He wants to hear her say it.

"Please fuck me!" A condom flies off the bedside table and hits Logan's outstretched hand.

"Nice trick," he murmurs. She makes an incoherent, frustrated sound, and he rolls it on. He positions himself over her and she arches her back up at him. He knows how wet she is and he slides right in. It feels wonderful on its own, and combined with Nori's empathy—and the knowledge that Remy is watching him fuck his fiancee—Logan's extremely close to the edge. But Logan's tough, and he thrusts in and out, loving the sound and the feel, determined to last a while longer.

"So good," he says. She's rising up to meet his thrusts, and she's so soft underneath him. Unexpectedly, Remy reaches between their bodies to tease her clit. She gasps and grinds against his hand, against Logan's body.

"You like this, _cher_?" Remy asks.

"Mm-hmm," she says.

"Then how about if you come for us?" he asks. His tone is almost conversational but he slightly changes the pressure on her clit. She gasps and comes. It's finally too much for Logan. He digs his fingernails into her shoulders and groans as he shudders out his own climax. For a moment, they lie twined together. He pulls out of her and throws away the condom before coming back to join the sweaty couple.

Remy's cock is still hard from watching Logan and Nori, and she whispers, "You poor thing." He gazes at her, wordlessly pleading with those devilish eyes. Kindhearted Nori slinks down and takes him into her mouth. He doesn't last long, and when he's finished she kisses him. She kisses Logan, too, an inverse of how they'd begun the evening. Then she disentangles herself to pee and brush her teeth. She returns and pulls her discarded camisole back on.

"Now, what would you do a thing like that for?" Remy asks.

"I'm cold now," she says, with a pretty pout.

"Well, come here, then," he says. Obligingly, she snuggles up against him, resting her cheek against his chest. He snakes a hand under her top and leaves it there, feeling her warm skin beneath his hand and the silky top above it. Logan wraps himself against Nori's back.

"Warmer now, darlin'?" he asks.

"Perfect," she sighs.

They fall asleep sweaty and sated. It had been an unconventional bachelor party, but none of them are complaining about it—at least not until the following morning, when Nori stands in front of the full-length mirror, examines her collection of hickeys and scratches and says, "Goddammit, you guys, I have to wear a strapless dress today."

"Perhaps you should have mentioned that last night," Remy says, amused and unconcerned. He wouldn't mind at all if Nori showed up at the courthouse looking the way she does right now, with bruises and bedhead.

She sighs. "I hope I have enough concealer for this."

Remy has a few bruises too (courtesy of Logan), but he'll be wearing a collared shirt and has little to worry about. Logan, of course, is spotless. He gazes at his friends. He'd woken up first and had tried to slip back out to his room, but Nori had heard, telekinetically held the door shut, and demanded that he come back to bed. _Don't be weird about this, Logan. We love you_. Which he thought was frankly a much weirder response than him trying to go back to his own room. But he'd acquiesced. Who was he to deny a bride's wish on her wedding day?

They shower, get dressed in casual clothing, and head down to breakfast. Afterward, Nori says, "Okay, so, we'll meet you at the courthouse at one. I'll be in Rachael's room getting ready, and if either of you see me before the courthouse, it will be seven years of bad luck."

"I think that is if you break a mirror," Remy says.

"Oh, yeah, you're right. Well, whatever, I'll see you at the courthouse," she says breezily, giving both men quick pecks on the cheek. Remy grabs her by the waist and gives her another, longer kiss. "Love you," she says.

"Love you too," he replies. After she leaves, he bats his eyelashes at Logan. "So, _mon frere_, are you going to help me do my hair?"

Logan laughs. "Don't think I'd be much help in that department." He relaxes slightly. He'd been a little afraid that it would be awkward to be with Remy after last night.

Remy glances at his watch. "Way I see it, we got a few hours to kill. Wanna shoot some pool?"

"Yeah, sure." Logan admires the Cajun's cocky confidence. He's not at all nervous about the impending ceremony, and he's not at all nervous to be in Logan's company. He can smell his serenity.

They shoot a few rounds and then Remy says nonchalantly, "Well, guess we'd better go get dressed."

NOTE: Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World is a real cookbook, and it rules. Even if you aren't actually vegan. (I'm not, but I always make recipes from that book for parties, and no one EVER SUSPECTS that they don't contain any animal products.)

Also I didn't really MEAN to write a threesome, it just, like, happened? Which is how it always goes in my personal life too. (KIDDING. That shit takes PLANNING.)


	40. Chapter 40

Remy looks, Logan thinks, ridiculously handsome in his perfectly-tailored black suit. He somehow makes a bow tie look dashing rather than pretentious. Logan himself feels awkward in his own suit.

Remy raises an eyebrow when Logan turns up in his room. "Looks good, _homme_. Didn't even know you had a suit."

Logan shrugs. He'd gotten it for Jean's memorial service, but he doesn't care to bring that up today. "I promised Nori I'd look presentable," he says.

"Well, you are a man of your word. Shall we?"

"Yeah, don't want to keep your girl waiting. You got the rings?"

Remy reaches in his pocket and pulls out two small black boxes. "You got your ID?  
>Logan nods, and he says, "Let's go, then."<p>

At the courthouse, they pause at the entrance. There's a metal detector. They spot Nori looking radiant and slightly concerned just inside. She smiles and waves.

_Just come in, Logan, I think I can keep them from noticing._

_What?_

_Just do it. If it doesn't work out, well, we'll figure something out. I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner._

He shrugs and walks through. The machine shrieks and lights up. The security guard, a curiously-glazed look in his eyes, says, "Have a nice day, sir." No one else in the near-empty courthouse seems to notice.

"Thank God," Nori says, sighing with relief when Logan reaches her.

"You're getting good at that, darlin'. And y'look—beautiful."

"Thank you!"

Remy passes through easily, giving a charming smile to the guard out of habit. "You," he says, "are a sight for sore eyes." Her dress is a pale pink with an elegant beaded brocade on top. The bottom is knee-length and has several layers of tulle, fluffing prettily out around her. She's wearing a pair of pink and silver beaded high heels and has a wreath of pink and white roses on her head. Her hair is down around her shoulders—hiding a few mouth-shaped bruises (makeup covering ones out of her hair's reach), but looking lovely all the same. It isn't a look that every woman could pull off, but it suits Nori.

She smiles up at him. "Well, if you like me so much, why don't you marry me?"

Rachael appears from a side hallway, wearing a fabulous green and blue silk cocktail dress. It looks like it was painted on her with watercolors. She's wearing heels too, bringing her almost up to Remy's height. "Great, you're here! The judge is ready for us."

Nori takes Rachael's hand and Remy and Logan trail behind them. The office is on the second floor, and they squeeze into the elevator. It smells like roses.

The actual ceremony is very quick. The judge, a young black woman with close-cropped hair and a beautiful, angular face, glances at their paperwork, smiles at the happy couple, and begins: "We are gathered here for the wedding of Midori Watanabe and Henri Chevalier." Luckily, all four of them manage to keep a straight face at the judge's awkward pronunciation of their assumed names.

"Are you, Midori Watanabe, here of your own free will, and do you intend to marry Henri Chevalier?"

"I do," she says, with a huge smile and a blissful wave of empathy.

"And are you, Henri Chevalier, here of your own free will, and do you intend to marry Midori Watanabe?"

"_Oui_, I absolutely do."

Nori laughs. The judge has them repeat the simple vow—"I take you to be my lawfully wedded husband," "I take you to be my lawfully wedded wife," they slide rings on each other's fingers, and they kiss. Logan and Rachael sign as witnesses, and the judge says, "In front of these witnesses, this couple has declared their intention to join their lives in marriage, and we now accept them as husband and wife."

Rachael and Logan both applaud and Remy kisses his wife again, a slow, lingering kiss. Nori blushes, turning her cheeks a few shades pinker than her dress.

"We're married now. That means I can kiss you whenever I want," he murmurs.

"That is _not_ what it means… Henri. Let's go eat some cake." They thank the judge and leave the courthouse. Luckily, they don't have to pass through the metal detector on the way out. They trade cars, meaning Logan has to ride back in Rachael's car.

_Sorry, Logan,_ Nori thinks. _I'll buy you a drink when we get back._

He grins. _I'm gonna need one._

When they arrive at the mansion, they make their way to the ballroom. Everyone applauds when Nori and Remy walk in. Remy grins and twirls his bride around. She blushes and smiles. The ballroom is beautiful. Ororo has decorated it, aided by enthusiastic students. There are flowers everywhere—some cut, but mostly still living in pots. (Rachael approves heartily of this.) There's a table set up with all the food Nori's family has brought, and another table of cupcakes and the small wedding cake Rachael had made. Up front, there's a small stage with a few microphones, speakers, Rachael's keyboard, and a drum kit. Nori glances at Rachael, who smiles and says, "You don't know everything, Kiki. There's a few surprises for you."

Nori smiles and hugs her friend. She kisses Remy and says, "I have something for you." He looks at her quizzically, and she and Rachael walk up to the front. Nori adjusts one of the microphones down to her level and she says, "Hi everybody. Um, I want to thank all of you for coming! I mean I know most of you live here, but, still. You all look lovely! And I want to thank all of you for supporting me and Remy. The last few years have been—hard—but—today is so wonderful. Anyway, I know I said I didn't want to play at my own wedding party, but I just have one song I want to share. With help from my amazing friend Rachael. Remy… this is for you. I love you," she says simply. She picks her violin up off a nearby chair and plays a light warmup. Then she says, "Okay, this is a song by one of my favorite bands, the New Pornographers."

She starts bowing out a sweet melody. Rachael joins in on keyboard, and Nori starts to sing after a few bars.

_Yes, a heart will always go one step too far_

_Come the morning and the four corners I see_

_What the moral of the back story could be_

Come with me, go places

She can't keep a smile off her face as the song builds and she gets to her favorite part:

_Come hell or full circle_

_Our arms fill with miracles_

_Play hearts, kid, they work well_

_Like magic, play aces_

_Stay with me, go places_

She and Rachael finish the song to applause from their captive audience.

"Thank you," she says. "And thanks, Rae, for the accompaniment. And for everything."

She puts her violin aside and goes to stand by Remy, who squeezes her and whispers, "That was beautiful, _cher_."

Still on stage, Rachael stands and says, "Well, Ms. LeBeau, I have a surprise for you, too." She waves and two women come to join her onstage. Remy recognizes one of them, a tall black woman with long dreadlocks, as the woman Mystique had impersonated the first night he'd met Nori. The other is a Latina woman of average height, with short black hair and a boyish figure (made even more boyish by her decision to wear a suit for the wedding). "For those of you who don't know," Rachael says, "This is Nori's old band, the Exes. We have Roxanne on drums and Orquidea on bass. You also might not know that Ms. Indie Rock Violinist Whatever has a taste for terrible pop music that would make a drag queen blush. So, with that in mind, we took it upon ourselves to expand our repertoire a little for this joyous occasion. Enjoy."

Nori covers her mouth with her hand and laughs hysterically as her hipster friends start playing Madonna's "Cherish." "Hey, husband, you wanna dance?"

He laughs and wraps his arms around her. They sway together for weirdly ironic-yet-sincere renditions of Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time," Beyonce's "Crazy in Love," and ABBA's "Lay All Your Love on Me."

Finally, Rachael says, "Okay, that was our last one. We hope it wasn't too awful. Okay—does everyone have a glass?" Nori looks around and realizes everyone is holding flutes of champagne or cider.

"When did that happen?" she whispers to Remy, who shrugs. They'd been pretty out of it. Ororo comes around and hands them each a glass. They smile and thank her.

"So, okay, I don't really know what to say. As you all probably have noticed, Nori is a wonderful lady. I'm thrilled that she found someone who makes her as happy as Remy does. And—and I'm happy they've found a place like this to live. So, a toast: to Nori and Remy LeBeau!" She raises her glass and everyone follows suit.

Logan's standing next to them, and he asks, "Uh, am I s'posed to say something?"

Remy and Nori laugh, and Nori says, "Only if you want to."

Logan shrugs, and Xavier wheels his way through the crowd. Rachael helps adjust the microphone and in his even, cultured tone he says, "I would like to join Ms. Shapiro in congratulating Noriko and Remy. Love is always worth celebrating, and perhaps now more than ever we should celebrate the love they've forged out of a difficult situation. I wish them both the very best and am delighted that they have chosen to remain here at the school." He raises his glass. "Here's to love."

"To love," everyone choruses, and glasses clink again.

Turning to Remy, Nori whispers, "That was kind of a grim toast, wasn't it?"

"Xavier probably just needs another drink."

They giggle, and Rachael drags them over to cut the cake. Piotr, who's been photographing the event, follows in their wake.

"You're supposed to cut it and feed it to each other," Rachael says.

Nori frowns down at the cake. Remy knows she hates to eat messy food, but after cutting it, he cheerfully holds a slice up to her mouth and murmurs, "If you get frosting on your face, I promise I will help you clean up."

She smirks and takes a dainty bite of the cake. She offers him the same slice and he takes a much bigger bite, then licks frosting off her hand.

_Remy, high school kids are watching us_, she reminds him telepathically. She puts the cake slice on a plate and offers him a napkin. He sighs and receives a smile and a fork.

They eat their cake and get more champagne, and then they mingle around the crowd accepting compliments and congratulations. They pose for a photo with Nori's family, who are happy for the couple but somewhat uneasy at the school. (Remy's family, as expected, had sent a nice note explaining that they really couldn't leave New Orleans just now.) Nori introduces Aiko to some of the younger students, who immediately ask what her power is. "Oh, um, I don't have one," she says. "I hope I get one, though, when I'm older." The kids blink but accept this, and they chat to her about the school. Nori smiles. She hopes she can convince Ken to send Aiko to Xavier's, assuming Aiko manifests.

Nori also makes a point of introducing Cecilia to Hank, and they quickly become involved with a complicated scientific discussion. Rachael stands next to Cecilia for a while before growing restless and engaging Ororo in a long talk about her greenhouse, which Rachael envies.

Spotting Scott, Nori lights up and gives him a tight hug. "I'm so glad you came! Did you get a cupcake? Do you want one? They're really good," she says.

He grins. "I'd love a cupcake."

She takes his hand and guides him over to the cake table, which has taken a serious hit since Nori was last there. "Oh my God, we made like 300 cupcakes," she says. "Grab one fast!"

"You haven't forgotten what teenage appetites are like, have you?" he says.

"Yikes, I guess I did."

Scott smiles and unwraps a cupcake. "Congratulations, Nori. I'm glad you and Remy have each other, and I'm glad you're sticking around."

"Me too," she says earnestly. "Do you want to dance?"

"I'd love to." They take to the dance floor and sway. Scott's face falls visibly when he hears the lyrics:

I was your boyfriend when I was 15

_It was the happiest I've ever been_

_Even though we didn't understand_

_How to do much more than just hold hands_

_There's so much about you I miss_

_The clumsy way we used to kiss_

Nori winces, and Scott composes his face. "I don't know this song," he says.

"It's by Art Brut," she says. Gently, she focuses her empathy on him, sending a mixture of compassion and her own sweet happiness. Scott sucks in a breath. "I'm sorry, Scott."

"No—it's—it's okay." They dance until the song ends and Nori hugs him again. She smiles as he chastely invites Kitty to dance with him. Kitty grins and accepts. The next song on the playlist is the much less emotionally-laden "Footloose," and Nori gives an inward sigh of relief.

She circles around the room. She sees Logan and Rogue dancing. Hank and Cecilia are _still_ lost in conversation. Ororo and Remy are dancing and laughing about something. She finds Kurt standing by the drink table and looking lost.

"Kurt! Come dance with me," she demands. She's sure he'd be blushing if his face weren't blue, but he accepts.

"You look so beautiful, Nori."

"Thank you, Kurt! You are quite handsome yourself."

He ducks his head shyly. Kurt's acrobatic background shows itself in his easy grace on the dance floor, and Nori's glad she dragged him out on it. They end up dancing next to Remy and Ororo, who are speaking in French. Kurt covertly eyes Ororo and Nori covertly eyes Remy, and then they both laugh.

"I bet they're talking about us," Nori whispers.

Kurt listens and says, "_Ja_."

"You speak French?"

"I am learning."

"What are they _saying_?" she asks, and Kurt laughs.

"Surely you could also tell?"

"Well, sure, but that would be cheating. Old-fashioned eavesdropping is just fine with me, though," she says grinning.

Kurt shakes his head. "Ah, it is not for me to say."

Nori narrows her eyes slightly, but smiles. "They're not talking about _us_, are they? They're talking about _you_."

Kurt shrugs and twirls her. "I'm just saying, you two would make a great couple," Nori adds.

Kurt smiles and says nothing, and when the song is over, they trade partners with Remy and Ro. Nori happily finds herself in her husband's arms, and she begs him for gossip about Ororo and Kurt. "They'd be so cute together, right?"

Remy smiles. "You just leave them be, Nori, they'll find their own way."

She sighs. "I know, I know. I just want to help."

His smile widens and he says, "Of course you do." He tightens his grasp around her waist and she sighs.

"I just want everyone to be as happy as we are."

"One day, _cher_. One day. But today? This is our day."

"Every day is our day," she replies, and he leans forward to kiss her. Her empathy is shining brightly, spreading a little bit of joyful energy out to every mutant in the room.

Rachael sidles up to them and claims the next dance with Nori. Remy removes himself from the dance floor and drinks a beer with Logan.

"Pretty kickass wedding, right Rae?" Nori asks.

"Yeah, it really came together."

"Thank you _so_ much for those songs! I couldn't believe you guys learned an ABBA song for me. It was _amazing._"

"I hope someone was filming it, because I will never play that song again."

"Never's a long time, Rae."

They giggle and Nori smiles up at her friend. Rachael manages to keep smiling even when Logan comes to claim Nori's next dance. Nori throws her arms around Logan's neck and grins.

He looks down at her and murmurs, "That's quite a dress, darlin',"

"Held up with tape and telekinesis," she says.

He laughs. "Well, it's working."

She twirls her hips a little, enough to make the tulle sway. "You look quite nice yourself. Respectable."

"Tell me about it," he grumbles.

She smiles. "You could have worn anything, you know. You didn't really have to get dressed up on our account."

He shrugs. "Won't kill me."

"Yeah, that's a pretty safe bet." They both laugh, and Nori says, "So, are you all packed for your trip?"

"I travel light."

"Mm. Well, bring me back a Hello Kitty cell phone charm."

"A _what_?"

"I guess they probably didn't have those the last time you were in Japan. Don't worry, they'll be everywhere," she says with an impish grin.

"Well, long as it'll fit in my backpack, it's yours."

"_Arigato_. I'll miss you, you know."

"I'll miss you too. But I'll be back."

"You'd better be," she says. The song ends, and she rises to kiss Logan. On the cheek, but nearer his lips than a usual kiss on the cheek might have been. He holds back a sigh. Nori sends him a brush of affection with her empathy before flitting off across the room. Eventually, the party winds down. Nori and Remy start trying to clean up, but Ororo shoos them off.

"We will take care of cleanup! You two go," she says.

"Well—thank you, everyone," Nori says, smiling.

"It is the least we could do," Ororo says. "Anyway, a lot of this will stay in place for graduation. Now, go!"

They obey. Once in the hallway, Remy sweeps Nori up into his arms.

She giggles. "Remy!"

"I'm s'posed to carry you over the threshold, right?"

"You could wait until we get up to the third floor."

He scoffs. "You t'ink you're too much for me to carry?"

"I did eat a lot of cake today," she says. But she wraps her arms around his neck and settles in. Her dress fluffs out over Remy's arms. They reach the elevator and Nori kicks out and hits the button with her toe. Once inside the elevator, he leans forward and kisses her. They make the mistake of leaning against the door of the elevator and stumble out when they reach the third floor. Remy almost drops Nori, and she laughs so hard tears come to her eyes.

"Ohmygod, Remy, shouldn't we know better by now?"

"Lesson learned," he says gravely. They make it to their room without further incident, and he gently deposits Nori on the bed.

"Wait!" she says, holding up her hands. "Help me get this dress off."

"Gladly."

She stands up and turns around so he can unzip her. He runs his hand down her back as the dress slides down. She gives a sweet sigh and scurries off to hang up her dress. She peels the double-sided tape off her breasts—she hadn't been joking about that. She throws away the tape and stands in front of Remy wearing nothing but her pink heels, a pair of silky pink panties, and slightly tattered roses in her hair. Remy sucks in a breath and she smiles. She pulls his jacket off and hangs it up. He stands there and lets her deliberately unbutton his shirt. She smiles up at him rapturously and Remy cannot take it any longer. He bends down and kisses her, smelling roses. She puts her arms around his neck and jumps up, slipping out of her shoes and wrapping her legs around his waist. She takes one hand from his neck and unpins the rose wreath from her hair. Teasingly, she places it on Remy's head.

"Does it look good on me, _cher_?"

"Everything looks good on you," she murmurs. He smiles and carries her back to the bed. He gently sets the roses on their bedside table. She sighs. "Remy, you are wearing too many pants."

He laughs, and she helps him slither out of them. Smiling, she straddles him and gives him a long, slow kiss. She pulls back and sighs. "I _love_ you," she says.

He grins and gently kisses her forehead. Her hair still smells like roses. "I love you too, _cher_." He cups her face in his hands and beams when he sees the ring on his finger. He kisses her and they lie back on the bed. He positions himself over her and gently, reverently kisses down her body. "You are so beautiful," he says. He starts teasing her, licking patterns on her inner thighs.

She sighs and curls her hands into fists, clutching the sheets under her. He tastes her, and she lifts her hips, giving him better access. He loves the sight. But she's getting close to the edge and he doesn't want her to come yet. He pulls away and she lets out a small whine.

"Rem-y…" she says. He slides back up and licks her ears, her throat. She runs her fingers through his hair and up and down his back. She reaches a hand down between them and lightly strokes his cock.

"_Mon dieu_," he murmurs. She smiles. They gently caress each other's bodies and eventually they make love to each other. It's sweet and slow and the opposite end of the spectrum from the previous night's frenzy (which they had also quite enjoyed). Afterward, they lie cuddled together and relax. They're both feeling extremely content.

Her face inches from Remy, Nori softly sings to him. He strokes her hair and gazes at her with a slight look of wonder. "I don't know what I ever did to deserve you, but I'm glad I did it."

She kisses his jaw and says, "It isn't a matter of deserving. How can one person _deserve_ another? It is just a matter of finding. We found each other. And I am glad we did, too. I'm glad for every moment in my life that led up to this moment."

He tightens his arms around her. "_Ma fille douce_." He considers the implications of her statement. Her life has had some pretty grim moments. So has his, for that matter, but he realizes he agrees. He wouldn't trade any of it for this moment, either. They chat quietly about their upcoming honeymoon, about Logan's trip, about tomorrow's graduation ceremony.

Eventually Nori says, "What _time_ is it? I'm hungry."

He twists and glances at the alarm clock. "It's 'bout seven. You want to go down for dinner?"

"Yeah. In a minute," she says, turning to kiss him. By the time they manage to pry themselves away from each other, get dressed, and downstairs, it's almost eight. The dining hall is empty. They slip into the staff kitchen and eat leftovers in there. Remy snags one of the leftover bottles of champagne and they take it back up to their room, where they have a perfectly lovely wedding night.

NOTE: Songs quoted are "Go Places" by the New Pornographers (which I totally want played at my wedding, even if I can't marry Remy LeBeau since he's fictional or whatever) and "Emily Kane" by Art Brut.

Also, if you are not interested in further threesome adventures, you could maybe just consider this your personal ending point to this story ;) Otherwise, the end is still in sight, but, you know. With more threesomes.


	41. Chapter 41

The next morning, as usual, Nori awakens before Remy, though not by much. She lies with him and quietly strokes his hair until their alarm goes off. He opens his eyes and gives her a sleepy grin.

"Good morning, love," she says in a sing-song tone.

"_Bonjour_."

"Are you ready for graduation?"

"Downright shivering with anticipation, _cher_."

She laughs. "Come on, let's get ready." He trails her to the shower, where they playfully clean each other and then set about trying to make themselves unrecognizable to parents as former mutant terrorists/liberators. Nori puts her hair back in a bun and applies makeup with care. She puts on her black plastic glasses. Remy puts in his white and brown contacts and Nori gives a little shiver. "I hate it when I can't see your eyes," she says.

Remy grins at that. "They're still here, _cher_, just not quite so colorful."

"I guess," she pouts. She pulls on an ivory dress with an understated black floral pattern. She tops it with a lightweight black cardigan to hide her tattoos.

Remy runs a hand down her back. "Looks nice, _ma mie_ .Very…elegant."

"I feel like I just put on my teacher disguise."

"Well, I wouldn't mind having detention with you," he says, kissing her forehead.

She raises her eyebrows. "See me in my office after class, Mr. LeBeau." He gives her a sexy smirk and she sighs. It's truly unfair how good-looking he is. "Mmph. You ready for breakfast?"

He gestures at his outfit—black slacks, black button-down shirt, and black tie—and says, "You tell me."

"Yeah, You look great. Obviously."

He gives a satisfied smile and they head down for breakfast, where they're surprised to see Rachael and Cecilia. Nori smiles and sits next to them. "Hey! Are you guys staying for graduation?"

"Maybe a little longer, actually," Cecilia says.

"Oh?" Nori asks.

"Well, I'm sticking around to meet with Dr. Xavier today, and I have to give two week's notice at the hospital, but… it looks like the school has a new doctor."

"Oh, that's fantastic!" Nori says. Remy tries his best to look pleased. The school _does_ need a doctor, after all. He glances at Rachael, who doesn't look thrilled. Remy decides to settle back and wait for Nori to ask the questions, which she promptly does.

"So what made you decide to stay?" Nori asks. "Because if it was the cupcakes, I have to tell you that those are only for special occasions."

"Well, I'd been thinking about it ever since we met. I…I mean, the idea of a school just for mutants is really appealing. And, well, things haven't been so great for me at the hospital since people found out I was a mutant."

Nori nods sympathetically. "So, did Hank give you a tour yesterday?"

"Yeah, I saw… I saw the basement."

Nori glances at Remy, then at Cecilia, then at Rachael. "Yeah. Hank told me about the X-Men, or whatever," Cecilia says. "And Rachael knows, too."

"I mean, you aren't…" Rachael says. "Are you?"

"Uh… a little," Nori says.

"What the fuck," Rachael replies.

"Argh," Nori says. "Look, I'm sorry. Can we just skip to the part where you understand why I didn't tell you and you forgive me for keeping secrets? That would be really great." Remy squeezes her knee.

Rachael sighs. "Yeah, okay. I mean, I guess you know what you're doing."

"Anyway, I'm not on the team any more. I'm kind of brain damaged, or whatever."

"Brain damaged _or whatever_?" Rachael repeats.

"Yeah, just, you know. I'm fine, but Hank said if I get any future head injuries, it would… not be great. So, yeah."

Cecilia raises her eyebrows. "What exactly is your diagnosis?"

"Oh, I don't know. I was in a coma for a while, and then I got better, and then I got a bad concussion. And there's like some spots on my CT scan or something." She shrugs.

"Hmm," Cecilia says.

"Anyway, so, are you going to move in here?"

"That's the plan," Cecilia says.

Nori glances at Rachael, who shrugs in response to the unasked question. "I mean… we don't live together now, or anything…I don't know. I don't know. We'll see. My career is in New York."

"We're not so far from the city," Nori says.

Logan comes to join them, carrying a huge plate of bacon and eggs. Cecilia and Rachael both raise their eyebrows, and Nori chokes back a laugh. "Good morning, Logan," she says happily. "Did you meet Cecilia yesterday?"

"Can't say as I did," Logan says, though Remy had pointed the woman out to him and advised him to be cautious. He sets his plate down and extends a hand. "Logan," he says.

"Dr. Cecilia Reyes," she says, formally. Logan guesses that she's received a similar warning about him from Rachael.

Nori says, "Cecilia's going to be our new doctor here at the school. Not that you'll have much need for her services."

"Oh, yes, you have a healing factor of some kind?" Cecilia says. Logan nods. "That's _fascinating_," she says.

Logan shrugs, a little uneasily. William Stryker had found his mutation fascinating as well. Nori brushes his mind with light reassurance. Somehow they make it through breakfast with only moderate awkwardness, and Nori goes off to run a final rehearsal for her little choir before they perform at graduation. They sound good, and she's bursting with pride. She'd tried to steer clear of cliché graduation songs, and they like her arrangements of Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising" and Harry Belafonte's "Turn the World Around." For the latter piece, she'd gotten Xavier to let her buy a few _djembe_ drums.

The ceremony itself doesn't take long. There are only six graduates: Bobby Drake, Jubilee, Dani Moonstar, John Proudstar, Rogue, and Piotr Rasputin. Xavier and Scott both give speeches. The choir performs, and then Xavier reads off the eight student names and they proudly walk across the stage. Nori cries a little during the ceremony. Remy looks at her with concern, and she thinks, _No, they're happy tears. It's okay._ They'd attended last year's graduation, but it was before she'd really gotten to know any of the students. And last year's graduating class had only been two students, Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, for whom no parents had come. But this year, she knows the students and is both proud of their accomplishments and sad to see them go.

After the ceremony, the teachers mingle and chat with the students' parents. Logan sticks by Rogue's side to make up for the fact that her parents hadn't come. Nori knew that Rogue had agonized about whether or not to even invite her parents, but had ultimately sent a pretty, embossed card off to Meridian, Mississippi and received no response.

Bobby Drake's mother awkwardly assumes that Nori is Jubilee's mother. Nori says, "No, I'm just the music teacher. I'm Midori Chevalier."

Jubilee says, bluntly, "Um, I'm Chinese? And she's Japanese? And my parents are dead?"

Mrs. Drake blushes. "Oh, dear, I'm so sorry."

"Whatever," Jubilee says, and she stalks away.

Nori keeps up a terse smile. She knows the woman meant well, but, damn, how ignorant could you get? Too, she's heard from Rogue about how hurt Bobby was by his mother's reaction to finding out he was a mutant. "Bobby's a wonderful student," she says. "We'll be sad to see him leave."

"Yes," Mrs. Drake says. "I know he likes it here. But Harvard in the fall! That will be something."

"Yes, of course," Nori says. She extends a hand. "It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Drake."

"Likewise, Ms…. Chevalier?"

Nori smiles and offers no explanation about her name. She finds Jubilee in the crowd and makes her feel a little better by making fun of Mrs. Drake's hideous dress. Then she flits over to where Remy, Logan, and Rogue are standing in a small knot off to the side of the ballroom. The parents are all eyeing Remy and Logan with vague suspicion. Neither of them look like teachers to them. "Great job today, Rogue!" Nori says.

"Thanks, Miss… Mrs…." she can't remember which of Nori's assumed names she's supposed to use anymore, and Nori laughs.

"You know, you're not a student any more. You can just call me No—Midori!" Nori says, laughing. "Even that isn't so simple, I guess."

Logan circumvents the name issue entirely by saying, "The choir sounded real good, darlin'."

"I know, right? They all worked really hard," Nori says proudly.

"And we had a good teacher," Rogue says.

"Oh, stop," Nori says, with a smile and a dismissive wave.

"You teach 'em how to play drums, too?" Logan asks.

"Well, who else?"

"Didn't know you were a drummer."

Nori shrugs. "I don't know if you've ever been to any kind of leftie rally or protest… and I kind of guess that you have not… but there's like, always a hand-drumming circle going on. I don't know why, exactly, but it's true. I felt like I'd been to enough rallies to be qualified to teach hand drumming. And it turns out I was totally right."

Before anyone can respond to that, Dani approaches them and says, "Ms.… Chevalier! Come meet my grandfather!" Nori smiles at her friends and goes off with Dani.

By dinner time, the graduation party has wound down and all the students who are leaving with their parents have already left. Some parents of non-graduating students come to pick up their kids. Some kids will fly home as unaccompanied minors, and Scott takes them to the airport.

Some, including Jubilee and Rogue, have nowhere else to go. Logan sits with Rogue at dinner, not knowing how to help heal the ache of abandonment, but willing to try.

Nori and Remy sit with Cecilia and Rachael. Cecilia's friendlier to them, if still a little prickly. But they're both easier to get along with than Logan, and Nori's pretty sure they can win her over soon. Cecilia reports that her meeting with Xavier had gone well, and she seems to really respect him. They head back to the city after dinner, with a promise to return in a few weeks.

"Great," Nori says. "We'll see you then! Assuming we don't decide to stay in Hawaii forever."

"Ah, you'll be back," Rachael says. "All your stuff is here."

Nori smiles and hugs her friend goodbye. "Thanks again, so much, for all your help with everything. Love you."

"Love you too, and you're welcome. Have fun on your honeymoon, and do _not_ get eaten by a shark."

"Yes, ma'am."

Nori also gives Cecilia a quick hug. "I'm so glad you're staying here," she says. "I'll see you soon!"

Remy offers smiles and handshakes, and lets out a tiny sigh of relief after the women leave the dining hall. Nori smiles and kisses him. "I think she'll chill out a little after she moves in here."

After dinner, they hang out with some of the remaining students in the living room. They relax and watch a movie, and then Nori and Remy retreat to their bedroom. Nori sits at their desk and pulls out some paper and envelopes.

"What'cha doin', _cher_?"

"Just something for Logan. Don't want him to forget about us when he's on the road."

"I think you are hard to forget, _non_?"

"He's pretty good at forgetting."

She writes him a letter in Japanese and seals it up in an envelope. On the outside, she writes in Japanese, "Open whenever." What she means is, "Open whenever you're lonely," but if she writes that, she's not sure Logan would ever open it. She also addresses a bunch of envelopes to herself at the school. To this stack, she adds several blank envelopes—she wants him to write to Rogue, but doesn't want Rogue to get mail addressed in Nori's handwriting-, some sheets of paper, a pen, a pencil, and one of Nori's business cards. She carefully writes her cell phone number on it next to the office phone number that's printed on it. She puts everything in a manila envelope.

"Here," Remy says, handing her a worn deck of cards. She smiles and adds it to the envelope.

"He's still out with Rogue," Nori says. "I'm just going to slip this in his backpack."

She ducks out into the hallway. Logan's door is locked, but she concentrates with her telekinesis and creates a key out of pure psychic energy. She's never been in Logan's room before. It's depressingly spare. When he leaves tomorrow, there will be no sign that someone had inhabited this room.

She easily finds his black backpack sitting out in the room's only chair. It has a few items of clothing in it. She tucks the folder into the main pocket and slips back out, mentally locking the door behind her.

She comes back into their room and pulls her suitcase out of the closet. She opens it and finds that it already has a few items in it. She smiles at Remy when she pulls out a few new (tiny) bikinis and a pink rash guard for surfing. "Aww, thanks, love."

"Some of those are more presents for me than they are for you."

"I know."

She kisses him anyway and adds more items to her suitcase. Remy sighs. "_Cher_, we're going to be on the beach for two weeks. Why are you packing pants?"

"I thought we might go hiking? I don't know, it's good to be prepared, right?"

He shakes his head mournfully and takes out his own suitcase. They're putting finishing touches on their suitcases when Logan comes in without knocking.

"Logan," Nori says happily. He nods.

"Thanks for the stationery set, darlin'."

She smiles. "Don't forget to write, or call. We'll miss you."

"Yeah, yeah," he says. Nori zips her suitcase and slips an arm around Logan's waist.

"Are you leaving tomorrow?" she asks.

"Might as well. What time's your flight?"

"Ten, out of LaGuardia. You want to drop us off at the airport?"

"Yeah, sure."

She smiles and kisses his cheek. "You're the best."

"I know," he says. He wants to kiss her on the lips but he's not really sure what the rules are here. She tilts her head and then pulls his face down to kiss him.

"Darlin'—I don't—you're married."

"Yes," she says. "But Remy and I both care deeply for you, too. We both find you attractive, and you are important to us. How do you feel?"

"This is damned weird," Logan says.

Remy, sitting on the bed and watching, snorts. "_Mon ami_, you got metal claws and you live in a mansion full of wannabe-superheroes run by a telepath. What isn't weird around here?"

"You know what I mean," Logan says.

"I know what you mean," Nori agrees. "But, Logan, what do you want?"

He bends down and kisses her, and his thoughts become clear to her. She runs a hand over his bearded cheek. He steps back and says, "I mean, what, you two go off on your Hawaiian vacation and then when you want something kinky, you knock on my door?"

Nori flinches slightly. "Do you want to come with us? Do you want to move in with us?"

Remy drawls, "You seem like a man who values his privacy, is all."

Logan sighs. "No, I don't want to go with you on your honeymoon." Nori can read in his thoughts that a small part of him does, but doesn't want the rest of the mansion to know. He's also anxious to begin his long-awaited trip to Canada.

"You're welcome to join us," she says. "You've been planning to leave tomorrow anyway. No one here would have to know where you were going, if you didn't want them to."

"Quit readin' my thoughts!"

"Sorry," she murmurs. "Sometimes—it's just hard not to."

Logan sighs, again.

"Look," Nori says. "I've been in some… unconventional relationships before. This is only going to work if we can communicate honestly. I would like it to work."

"Me too," Remy says.

Logan nods. "Still weird, though."

"Would any of us be capable of having a relationship that wasn't weird?" Nori asks. "We're all—we're all a little bit broken."

Logan and Remy both look at Nori, whose face is open and honest. She sits down on the middle of bed, followed by Logan. Logan takes her hand and Remy comes over to lay his head in her lap. She strokes his hair with her free hand.

"So," she says. "Logan, we don't want you to feel like you can only come over when we ask you. You can come over any time. You can sleep here every night if you want."

"You don't think people are going to notice?"

"So what if they do? There's nothing wrong with what we're doing. I don't care if everyone knows."

Head still in Nori's lap, Remy says, "Me neither."

Logan purses his lips. "If it's all the same to you, think I'd rather wait on that. People don't need to know our business."

"That's true, too," Nori says. She smiles and quotes Paul Simon, "I may be obliged to defend every love, every ending, or maybe there's no obligations now." Logan shifts and comes to sit behind her, his chin on her shoulder and his arms around her waist. She sighs and relaxes against him. He's reassuringly solid.

"What about, I mean…" Logan trails off. Nori can read the thought in his mind's eye but she waits a moment for him to say it.

Finally, she says, "Logan, if you—if you meet anyone, when you're out looking… you know, we'll understand. We're opening our relationship to include you. But you are welcome to form your own separate relationships—or, well, rekindle old ones, as the case may be."

"Pretty sure everyone I've ever loved is dead." He hesitates. "Outside this room, anyway."

Nori smiles and gently presses her cheek against his. "I love you too, Logan."

Remy murmurs, "_Je vous aime tous les deux."_

Nori quietly links their minds and they sit for a moment, a little overwhelmed. Logan's feeling confused and protective and a little afraid of being left behind. Remy's taking it all in stride. He isn't surprised that Logan's accepted their invitation, but he is pleased. Nori is tranquil. She feels safe and loved and she loves Remy and Logan.

After he adjusts to the link, Logan tightens his arms around Nori and joins his hands with hers in Remy's silky hair. He's thinking of Jean, and how she had chosen Scott. He doesn't have any illusions that Nori would choose him over Remy, if it came to that, but maybe she's right. Maybe she doesn't have to choose. Or rather, maybe they've all chosen each other.

The more he thinks about it, the more it makes sense to him. Nori's right; they are all a little broken. Even if Jean had left Scott for him, would he have been able to keep up a relationship with her? He's cantankerous, needs a lot of space. With Nori and Remy, if he needs to bail for a while, they'll understand. And they'll have each other. Nori has a lot of love to give. Logan doesn't have trouble believing she's capable of loving two men. Too, she's a little needy, and would relish attention and affection from both of them, And Remy? Where Scott had grown defensive, warning Logan to "stay away from his girl," Remy was confident enough to share his girl. He was self-assured, certainly—knew that if it came down to it, Nori would choose him over Logan. But he also trusted Logan, enough to know that he truly cared about both Nori and Remy. And then there's the fact that both Nori and Remy are extremely physically affectionate. They're always cuddling and petting each other, even when they're not doing anything sexual. They're happy for another warm body.

"Not just _any_ warm body," Nori says mildly. "We're not sluts. Well, Remy kind of is."

"_Cher_, is that any way to talk about your husband?"

"What? I mean it in the sex-positive way."

Logan laughs. He turns his face and kisses her throat. "Well, I guess I'm glad to be your warm body of choice." He reaches a hand up to pick a few strands of her hair out of his mouth before adding, a little apologetically, "I'm not used to you reading all my thoughts."

"Oh. I can unlink us. I just thought… it would be good, to share." With a thought, the link is broken. "But I have to warn you that when I have sex—and right after—my shields get pretty thin." Logan feels a little lonely inside his head now. Nori twists her head and kisses him. "You know, Logan, all the reasons you were thinking of… those were true. But there's also the fact that I love you. And Remy loves you. We've been through some way weird shit together. You're a good man. A—an honorable man. And we love you. We've been intimate with you for a long time. It's just that we never had sex until two days ago."

Logan considers this and nods. Sharing his nightmares and his memories with his friends—lovers—whatever they were—had really been more intimate than having sex with them. And he had never regretted sharing with either of them, no matter how difficult it had been for him. He remembers the night, several months back, when Nori had told them that Stryker had taken something from all three of them, and that they would have to work together to restore themselves. He didn't think that this is what she had meant, but he thought it might work.

The three of them make love. It's gentler, sweeter sex than what they'd had two nights ago. It's goodbye sex. They fall asleep in a cozy pile, enjoying the warmth of Nori's content empathic waves. In the morning, Logan wakes up before the alarm goes off, but he stays put—he's essentially trapped by Remy's head on his chest and Nori's body half-draped over his other side. He carefully tries to free his arm from under her, but she wakes up and grins at him with sleepy eyes.

"Sorry," she says.

He gives a low chuckle and puts his arm around her. "Nothin' to apologize for, darlin'. But in the future, I don't think I should be in the middle here."

She nuzzles him gently with her cheek and says, "You can sleep anywhere you want, _anata_."

He smiles at the Japanese endearment and kisses the top of her head. "Here's good for now."

They lie together quietly until the alarm goes off at five-thirty. Remy awakens with a long, slow stretch, which Logan watches appreciatively. Remy rewards him with a sexy grin.

"Mornin', Logan," he says. "Mornin', _cherie_."

"Yay, let's go to Hawaii," Nori says. She rolls out of bed and into the shower, emerging three minutes later.

Logan pulls himself away from Remy's mouth long enough to say, impressed, "That was quick."

"It's a trick you learn when you live on a bus," she says. "Hey, stop making out, we have to leave in like half an hour."

Remy grudgingly climbs out of bed and into the shower. Nori dresses for travel, in loose linen pants, a tank top, a cardigan, and flip-flops. Logan smiles at her and says, "I'm goin' next door to shower. Seeya in a few." She waves goodbye and starts braiding her damp hair. Remy takes a shower that's longer than three minutes but still shorter than his usual time. He comes out and gets dressed, including his contacts. She pouts, and he covers them with sunglasses.

"Better," she says. "Okay. Do we have everything? Yes? IDs? Wallets? Clothes? Clif bars?"

"I am pretty sure they have food in Hawaii, _cher_."

"Well, in case they don't, I have 24 Clif bars. And if you make fun of them, I will not share them."

He laughs and bends down to kiss her. "_Desole, cherie_."

"You're only saying that because you know I have chocolate almond flavor."

Logan enters the room. His hair is damp and he's wearing jeans and a white T-shirt. Nori and Remy both smile at him.

"You two ready?" he asks, a little brusquely.

"Yep!" Nori says brightly. She puts her Hello Kitty backpack on and wheels her little suitcase behind her. Logan snorts and takes the suitcase from her. "Aw, thanks," she says. Remy grabs his own stuff and follows behind them. The drive to LaGuardia is relatively quiet, and when Logan drops them off he gets out and receives a long hug and lingering kiss from both Nori and Remy in turn. This earns them a few stares from bored skycaps, but none of them care.

"Good luck, Logan. I hope you find what you're looking for," Nori says. "And don't forget to write and call, okay? I will miss you so much."

Remy just smiles and says, "Good luck, _mon ami_."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll see you both around." Nori pouts and gives him another quick hug. "You two take care," he says gruffly, before getting in the car and pulling quickly away from Departures.

Nori and Remy glance at each other and hug. "If he doesn't call us, I will kill him," Nori says.

"Yeah, good luck with that, _cherie_."

She gives an un-ladylike snort of laughter and they get in line to check in. Once again, Nori is completely impressed with the quality of fake ID that Xavier had procured for them. She's also impressed (though not terribly surprised) when Remy flirts his way into a first-class upgrade for them.

"How the eff did you do that?" she asks, once they're away from the desk. "I mean, I totally get how you can charm ladies into doing stuff for you. Totally. But how did you get it to carry over for your _wife_?"

He bats his eyelashes at her. "I just told them I wanted my beautiful wife to have the most perfect honeymoon possible and I was sure that a woman as sweet as her could help me out."

She sighs and says, "You!" He grins and puts his arm around her shoulder.

"Let's go to Hawaii, _cher_."

"Yeah, okay." Again, their fake IDs come through and Nori doesn't even have to use her telepathy to get them through security. Telepathically, she tells Remy, _You know, if they're going to just let a couple of terrorists like us though security, I'm really not sure why they won't let us bring a full size thing of toothpaste on board._

He smirks at her and holds her hand on the way to the gate. They have a seat and Nori consults their boarding pass. "So, we're arriving at 10:20 PM. But that's in like, what time zone?"

"Hawaiian time."

"Oh. Right. So, that's like, six hours behind us, so, it'll be… 4 am New York time?"

He shrugs. "I trust your math."

"I love flying. It's like time travel."

"That's one way to look at it."

She smiles and opens her backpack, pulling out a book of sudoku. She blinks at the page for a moment and then fills in the entire thing without pausing.

"What the hell, _cherie_?"

"This one's easy," she says, tapping the page. Sure enough, it says "easy" right at the top, but Remy shakes his head.

"Don't look that easy to me."

"It's like a puzzle," she says. "Once you figure out a couple, they all fall into place."

He shakes his head. "So smart, _cherie_."

"Yep," she says, "It's one of my most practical life skills. And it compensates for my complete inability to do crosswords."

He laughs and watches her fill numbers into grids. It's more compelling than it has any right to be. Finally, the announcement comes that their flight is boarding, and Nori tucks her book and pen back into her backpack. She and Remy settle into cushy leather seats and she grins up at him. "I don't know how I _ever_ traveled anywhere without you," she says.

"Well, you won't have to ever again," he replies, and she pulls his face down for a kiss.

Once they're in the air, they flip up the armrest between them and Nori curls up against Remy. She pulls out her iPod and offers an earbud to Remy. He takes it, and she links their minds while they listen to NPR podcasts. She also shows him how to play solitaire on the iPod, which he tries. He doesn't like it as much as the feel of slick plastic laminate under his fingers, but it still passes the time. All in all, it's the most enjoyable cross-country flight Remy's ever taken, though he's still quite pleased when they finally arrive at their destination, two layovers and eighteen hours later. Nori gives a sleepy stretch and smiles. She cheers, "We made it!"

NOTE: So, like I mentioned, I didn't really set out to write a Remy/Nori/Logan story. But then I realized that I'd accidentally written like 20 chapters of them totally falling in love/lust with each other. What can you do? Based on the feedback I got after posting the last few chapters it seems like people are on board with this. (Thanks!) Which is good because there is no turning back now!


	42. Chapter 42

Lihue Airport is small, with only one terminal and ten gates. By the time they retrieve their baggage, all the little shops are long-closed. The air is pleasantly warm and humid and smells of tropical flowers. Nori peels off her cardigan and drapes it over her arm, and they pick up their rental car. They've rented a little beach house on the south shore. There are some fancy resorts on the island, but they prefer to keep to themselves for a number of reasons—a desire for privacy, a desire to not get turned in to the FBI, and on Nori's part, a desire for mental peace and quiet. The mansion isn't hugely crowded, and she's gotten much better control over her telepathy over the last year, but still, all that shielding takes its toll on her.

As usual, Remy drives and Nori navigates, which in this case means putting the address of the rental office into the car's GPS. They get their keys and settle into the cozy beach house. Nori sighs happily. "You can hear the ocean from here!"

Remy grins. He can feel how joyful and relaxed she is, if also exhausted. He's a little disappointed when she goes to the kitchen, drinks a glass of water, and then immediately falls asleep. But then, they have two weeks here, and after that, the rest of their lives together. He's tired too after their long day of travel, and he joins her in bed.

In the morning Nori slips out and buys fresh fruit before Remy awakens. He hears strange sounds and gets up to find her efficiently butchering a pineapple in the kitchen. She smiles up at him and offers him a bright yellow chunk of fruit. He eats it and then deliberately licks her sticky fingers.

"Awful big knife, _cher_."

"It was an awful big fruit," she says, moving on to slicing up a mango. Remy finds it strangely erotic. Nori gives him a sweet smile and feeds him little cubes of mango flesh. He starts offering her fruit in return, and the next thing they know, they're both naked and dripping with fruit juice.

Lying on the floor of the kitchen, he licks mango juice off her chest and she murmurs, "I got a coconut too, but I'm not really sure what to do about it now." He laughs. Something about that statement, weirdly whimsical and practical and sexy, perfectly encapsulates what he loves about her.

"We'll figure something out," he promises. In the meantime, they take a long shower and walk out to the beach. Remy is extremely thorough about applying Nori's all-natural, organic sunblock for her.

"Seriously, don't miss anywhere," she warns. "This is definitely the smallest swimsuit I've ever worn and there's some skin showing that has not seen sun in quite some time."

Remy grins, enjoying the view. She rolls her eyes. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, love, but there are already ladies on the beach who are way hotter than me."

"_Non_," he says. "There certainly are not. Please, accept my expertise in this area."

She smiles and accepts the compliment. In truth, she feels pretty good about the way she looks in a swimsuit these days. The first time she'd gone to the beach with Remy had been just a few weeks after she'd been rescued from Stryker's lab, and she'd been bruised and far too skinny. The second time they'd gone to the beach together, she'd gotten kidnapped.

These days, she's muscular from all her yoga and none of her bones are showing. At 38, she can still turn a few heads on the beach, and her self-confidence is higher than it had been as a depressed, anxious 28-year-old. She owns her short legs, her crow's feet (deepening despite obsessive use of moisturizer), and her small breasts. And Remy certainly isn't complaining about them.

Remy, of course, looks like a male model and is already attracting attention from other beachgoers. She can feel jealousy when he rolls over to kiss her, and she puts up a shield against all thoughts except Remy's.

They pass the day swimming, napping, and making out on the beach. In the evening they get groceries and Nori cooks for them. "I kind of miss cooking," she says. "Not that I'd want to cook for fifty."

"Hmm," he says. "There's no reason you couldn't, in the staff kitchen."

"Yeah. I just never really think about it when there's always food around."

"Do you ever think about leaving the mansion?"

"Not seriously, no. I like it there. It's… safe. And, I mean, I guess… I never really envisioned myself as a homeowner or anything. I've lived more like a hobo for most of my adult life. I used to do like a hundred shows a year. New York was just where I kept my stuff. It's nice to have, you know, a home. With no landlord, but also without having to be in charge of mowing the lawn." She looks up from the vegetables she's chopping and asks, "What about you?"

He shrugs. "About the same. Xavier's is a good situation and I'm in no rush to leave. Long as you're happy there."

She grins at him ruefully. "Don't worry, love, you'll know when I'm not happy."

Remy laughs and comes up to hug her from behind. He can feel her stiffen for a split second—even though she's been out of Stryker's hands for two years now, even though she knows Remy is the only other person in the room—and then she relaxes against him. He kisses the top of her head, his heart twinging for his still-broken girl. She sighs and turns around to rest her face against his chest, one hand absently rubbing the back of her neck.

Then she brightens and starts making curry sauce, saying, "This is going to be awesome, Remy."

"May I help with anything?"

"Nah. Just keep me company." He does, and her curry is, as promised, delicious. They pass an enjoyable evening, and Nori sets an alarm for 5am, to Remy's displeasure. But he knows she's excited about their surf lesson, so he bites his tongue.

In the morning, Nori wakes up, chipper as anything, and gets dressed. Remy's not chipper, but he's conscious, which is all he can offer at that early hour. They traipse down the beach and find the surf school. They pick out boards, leashes, and little foam booties. Remy questions the booties and is told that they will protect his feet from the reef.

"Don't worry, love, I still think you look cool," Nori assures him.

He sighs and slips them on. Their instructor, a lean native Hawaiian named Kekipi, teachers them how to paddle, how to stand. He shows them how to pick out a wave. In a laidback tone, he says, "You have to read the ocean. It'll tell you everything you want to know, if you just listen."

Nori nods, as if that makes sense. Remy sighs inwardly. Once they get into the water, he enjoys it a bit more. They paddle out past the break and wait for promising waves. Their instructor signals to Nori, and she starts paddling with it. "Faster!" Kekipi calls. "You have to match the speed of the wave!"

She catches it, but when she tries to stand up she pushes too hard and falls right into the water. She surfaces, laughing, and paddles back past the break.

"That was really good for a first try," Kekipi says. "Make sure you push up all in one smooth motion. It's in the arms."

She nods. "That was so fun!"

Remy grins at her enthusiasm. "All right, dude, you're next," the instructor says. "See that wave coming? It's yours."

Remy nods and paddles hard. He catches the wave—which is admittedly pretty fun—but he can't stand up, either. He sputters under the water and grabs the wrong end of his board when he surfaces. He rights the board, shakes his hair out, and paddles back to join Nori and Kekipi, who also praises his effort. Kekipi sticks with them for another hour. Nori catches on quickly and is soon riding waves all the way to shore. Remy has the strength to paddle and to push himself up, but Nori's the clear star. Kekipi beams and says, "She knows how to listen to the ocean."

"Of course she does," Remy says. He watches her gracefully jump off her board just before hitting the shore. She smiles and waves at him before turning to paddle back out to them.

"This is the funnest thing ever," she enthuses.

"Glad you like it, _cher_."

"Oh no! You don't?"

"It's fine," he says. "But I think I'm just gonna go on shore and watch you for awhile."

She pouts a little and says, "Okay. I'll come in soon."

"Oh, not on my account. I like watching you."

"Well, I'll try to put on a good show, then."

The sport is perfect for Nori for the same reasons it bores Remy. It's fairly slow-paced. There's a lot of waiting, which Nori likes. It's extremely meditative to lie out on her board, waiting for the right wave to come and feeling the gentle rocking of the ocean under her. It isn't competitive, or at least not at this level. You don't win; you just catch a wave. It requires balance and grace and she loves it.

Remy and Kekipi paddle back to shore, and Nori waits out past the break for a wave. Remy peels off his rash guard and sits on the shore. Over the course of the morning, a few women come up and chat with him. He enjoys the attention but is always quick to point out that he's just there to watch his wife surf. They sigh and move on down the beach.

Nori stays out for hours, good-naturedly fighting with other surfers for waves. Finally, the water gets choppy and most of the surfers start to come in, including her. When she finally reaches land, she's too tired to lift her 8-and-a-half-foot longboard off the sand. She drags it for a few feet before Remy jogs up and takes it from her, undoing the Velcro from around her ankle.

"Oh shit, I am so tired," she says. "I didn't realize until I came in. Whoa." Her cheeks are sunburned, but her empathy is incredibly calm and happy.

Remy returns the board and comes back with a bottle of water for her. She drains it and blinks at him. "Oh my God, Remy, that was the funnest ever."

"You mentioned that."

"Can we just rest here for a minute?"

"Of course, _cher_." She spreads out her towel and falls asleep almost immediately, face buried on her forearms. Remy grins and rubs sunblock on her back. He lies next to her, enjoying the sun on his face and the day's lack of an agenda. Nori wakes up an hour or so later and claims to be "starving." They find a nearby open-air restaurant on the beach, full of tanned, damp people. Nori eats fresh fruit and a huge vegetarian omelet.

"Pretty sure that is the most food I have ever seen you eat, _cher_," Remy says.

"I think I just burned like 10,000 calories," Nori says. "Oh my God. Can we do that again tomorrow?"

He smiles at her. "Maybe _you_ can do it again tomorrow, and _I_ can sleep in?"

"Aw, okay," she says. "If you're sure."

"What do you want to do this afternoon?"

"Oh… you."

He gives her a slow grin. "Think I can arrange that."

They finish their breakfast and amble back to their beach house to follow through on Remy's offer. They're both warm and lazy and smell of coconuts.

"This is one of the best decisions we've ever made," Nori says.

"I feel like that every time we fuck," Remy drawls.

Nori laughs. "I meant coming to Hawaii. But I don't have regrets about that, either."

He grins and nuzzles her cheek. "Good."

They doze off for an hour or so. In the afternoon, they walk up and down the beach and go out for dinner and drinks. Nori smiles at him over a glass of wine. She's calm and happy and sun-kissed. "Love you," she says abruptly.

"Love you too," he says.

"What'd'you think Logan would do if he were here?"

Remy laughs. "Well, for starters, don't think a guy with a metal skeleton would be much of a surfer."

"That's a fair point."

"He'd probably like seeing you in your bikini about as much as I do."

"And you in your board shorts," she says with a smile. "I hope he finds what he's looking for."

"I hope whatever he's looking for don't make him too crazy," Remy says.

"Yeah. Signs point to his past being pretty grim. He's tough, though."

Remy squeezes her hand. "We're all tough."

"And a little crazy." They both smile.

"You are my favorite variety of crazy, _cher_."

"What kind is that?"

"Oh, I guess it's the kind of crazy that makes a girl want to marry a master thief and bring a human weapon into bed with them."

"Pfft. I got that idea right out of your head, so what does that make you?"

"I like to think of myself as not so much crazy, but generous."

"Right. A regular altruist." She grins at him and taps her head. "I mean, I know this is a relatively new development, but you know I can read your mind, right?"

He laughs. "All right, all right. We're all a little crazy, but I got no regrets. Do you?"

"Never."

They grin at each other and their waitress, for reasons she can't coherently explain, brings them complimentary dessert. Remy smiles and thanks her. Nori's eyes light up and she eats every last grain of sticky rice, which Remy isn't quite sure counts as a dessert. He admits it tastes better than it looks.

They pass an incredibly peaceful two weeks. Neither of them have any nightmares the entire trip. Nori turns into a pretty decent surfer, and every morning Remy lounges on the beach and crushes the dreams of several single tourists (and a few married ones). Surfing takes its physical toll on Nori—she bruises her abdomen from pushing herself up onto the board, the reef scratches her legs, and she gets a pretty dramatic black eye when an unexpectedly rough wave knocks her board against her face. None of this impacts her love for the sport, though Remy grows concerned.

"_Cher_, you know what Hank said about your head…"

"Oh, it's nothing. It's way worse than it looks. I've been talking to some people out here and they say people don't get hurt around here too bad. You have to get out to bigger breaks for real serious injuries. Or sharks."

"Well, you stay put, then. What are the people at the mansion gonna say when I bring you back from our honeymoon with a black eye?"

"We'll tell them they should see what happened to the shark."

He laughs and squeezes her shoulder. "Just be careful, _cher_. Please."

She leans over and kisses him. "Of course."

Their last day, they buy coffee and macadamia nuts to bring back as gifts and they sadly board their return flight. Ororo picks them up at the airport. "Nori! What happened to your eye?" The black eye has faded considerably, but the skin under her eye is still a light greenish-yellow.

"Picked a fight with a surfboard," she says. "It's not as bad as it looks."

"Heavens," Ororo says.

"It's really fine."

"So… you enjoyed your trip?"

"Absolutely," Nori enthuses.

"I've had worse vacations, that's for certain," Remy says.

"Pfft," Nori says. "Did we miss anything exciting at the school?"

"It's been astonishingly boring," Ororo says.

"Well, we'll have to see what we can do to liven things up," Remy says.

Nori and Ororo laugh at that, and their return trip passes quickly.

Despite Remy's best efforts, summer at the mansion unfolds lazily. The biggest news is Dr. Cecilia Reyes' appearance at the mansion, but she settles in easily. She and Hank become fast friends, their love of science overcoming their personality differences. As Nori had predicted, Cecilia mellows out in the calm, supportive environment of Xavier's. Rachael comes out to visit often, but she dedicates most of her attention to catching up with Cecilia and very little to picking fights with Remy.

A week after they return from Hawaii, one of Nori's self-addressed envelopes turns up at the mansion, along with a postcard of a mountain scene for Rogue. She opens it and learns that Logan has surprisingly elegant penmanship, though (as predicted) he isn't much of a letter writer. It starts abruptly, with no greeting. Nori realizes he'd probably been unsure about whether to address it to just her, or to both her and Remy? Too, he almost always calls her "darlin'," not "Nori," but the idea of Logan actually starting a letter with "Darling," is too much for her to imagine. Still, the fact that she's holding this sheet of sparse prose at all is enough of a sign of affection for her.

_Traveling through Canada. Not too cold yet, even in the mountains. Not Hawaii, but I'll take it._

_It smells familiar. I think I'm close to something._

_Miss you._

_Logan_

She smiles and hands it to Remy, who reads it and nods. He knows Logan can take care of himself, but he also knows that Nori worries.

A week after that, Nori's cell phone rings one evening while she and Remy are lounging in their room. She glances at it and doesn't recognize the number, but she answers.

"Hello?"

"Hey, darlin'."

"Logan! How are you?"

"You know me. Same old, same old."

"But how's your trip? Have you found anything? Wait, Remy's here, let me put this on speakerphone."

She puts the phone face-up on the bed and says, "Okay." She lies facedown on the bed to better hear, and Remy lies next to her. She absently rubs his back to give her something to do with her hands.

"_Bonsoir_, Logan," Remy says.

"Hey, Cajun," Logan says fondly.

"You miss us?" Remy asks.

"Yeah, desperately," Logan says sarcastically.

"Guys. Stop the junior high flirting. Logan. What did you find?" Nori chimes in.

He sighs. "Pretty sure I found the cabin where I used to live with Kayla. The one—Nori, you saw it, in my head."

"Oh, yeah. Does anyone live there?"

"Nah. Pretty… rustic. Kinda been taken over by animals. Some stuff, though… some of her clothes. Some… army medals."

"Oh?" 

"They say James Howlett. But I think that's me."

Remy and Nori glance at each other uneasily. It could also mean Logan had killed someone named James Howlett, but neither of them says it.

"You seem more like a Logan than a James," Nori says.

"Yeah, well. I ain't even sure if it's me. But… it sounds real familiar."

"Maybe it's your dad?" she suggests.

"Maybe," he says doubtfully.

"Well, if you have medals and a name, you should be able to look up military records," she says.

"Huh. That's true," Logan says. Straightforward, legal solutions rarely occur to him, but she's right. "Anyway, I think I'm about done here. Lookin' into a flight to Japan soon."

"What are you going to do with your bike?" Nori asks, attuned to travel details.

"Hadn't really thought about it. Maybe sell it. Or leave it at the airport." He sounds unconcerned.

"Hmm. Well, it's a long flight. Make sure you pack snacks," Nori says. Remy and Logan both laugh, and Nori protests, "I'm _serious_. This is valuable travel advice."

"Thank you, darlin'," Logan says, his voice almost tender. "I'm at a payphone, so I'm gonna let you two go."

"Thank you for calling," Nori says. "I love you. Good luck."

"_Prends garde, mon ami_."

"Yeah. Well. I'll be back before too long," Logan says, and hangs up.

Nori sighs, and Remy kisses her, because she's there and he loves her.

Remy loves the lazy summer, though he misses having Logan to spar with. He and Scott train together, but it's just not the same.

Nori's not sure what to do with so much free time. She tries to read more and she tries to write songs, both with limited success. She swims a lot in the mansion's pool. She's never really had access to a pool before, and it turns out she likes it. She gives piano lessons to some of the students who are around for the summer. She's better at teaching piano than any other instrument because she's the least good at it. She's been playing violin for too long to really remember what it's like not to play it.

Remy and Nori chaperone a trip out to the Jersey Shore, which disappoints the kids by not being much like MTV.

"Be glad it isn't," Nori scolds. "Do you want to get punched in the face?"

Rogue doesn't mind at all—Nori's blocking her power for her so Rogue can wear a swimsuit without fear of killing everyone, and Bobby's come up from Boston for the week. There's not much more a teenage girl could ask for.

The week after that, Aiko comes to stay with her Aunt Nori for a week. With Ken's permission, Cecilia takes a blood sample from Aiko. Though she hasn't manifested yet, she tests positive for the X-gene, to the delight of Aiko and Nori (though Nori hopes Aiko's power turns out to be something controllable). They swim in the pool and watch Disney movies in the living room. On Sunday, she and Remy take Aiko into the city for a matinee of the Lion King on Broadway. Nori hates fighting her way through the crowds of summer tourists, but she keeps her mental shields up tightly, and both Remy and Aiko hold her hand. She gets through it, and Aiko loves the play.

A month after their first letter from Logan, another one turns up, bearing a Japanese postmark. She opens it and spots a tiny cell phone charm at the bottom of the envelope. It's Hello Kitty dressed like a bumblebee. (She wonders if Logan knows that cell phones kill bees. Probably. She told everyone about it at dinner after reading about it a few months ago.) She smiles and affixes it to her phone before reading the letter.

I guess this is what you were talking about, Nori? You were right, they are everywhere here. Seems kind of pointless, but there you go.

_It's weird being back here. Everything looks so modern and shiny and then you turn the corner and find a little shrine. I kind of like it, but I'm not really sure what I'm doing here._

_Take care._

_Logan_

The next week, a postcard turns up with an image of the Hiroshima Peace Park.

Nori

_Thought you'd like this._

Logan

She smiles and tapes it up in her office. Two weeks later, her phone rings at lunchtime.

"Hello?"

She hears heavy breathing and frowns.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"Nori… s'me. Logan."

"Oh!" She steps out into the hallway. "Is everything all right?"

"Mariko… I killed her."

"Oh my God, are you sure?"

"Yeah. I… she…"

"What?" She can hear him breathing heavily and she coaxes, "Logan, calm down. I love you. You're a good man."

She listens to him breathe for a few minutes and he says, "It's complicated. I don't know why I came here. Think I'd be better off not knowing."

"I'm so sorry, Logan," she says sincerely.

"I…" he sighs. "Bye, darlin'."

"What? Don't you _dare _hang up, Logan—dammit."

She sits down in the hallway and hugs her knees to her chest. Remy comes out and puts an arm around her shoulder. "What happened, _cher_?"

"Logan called. He—I don't know, Remy, he sounded really broken up. He said—he said he killed Mariko, this woman… he loved… but then he hung up before I could really get the story. I—I'm sure it was an accident…"

"Damn." He feels for Logan, of course, but at the moment he's more concerned for Nori, who feels the pain of others so clearly. Too, he feels a stab of fear for Nori. It seems that the women Logan loves have short lifespans. He hopes Logan calls back. Logan should know as well as anybody how upset she'd be, but he might not be in his right mind.

She sighs and rests her head against his shoulder.

"Logan's tough," he assures her. "He'll figure something out."

"He'd better."

She stands up and says, "I'll be in my office."

"Hey. Wait," he says. He rolls to his feet and kisses her. They kiss hard until they hear Jubilee giggling behind them.

Nori ducks her face against Remy's chest in embarrassment, but Jubilee just says, "It's cool, Ms. L. You guys are cute."

"Thanks, Jubilee," Nori mumbles. After Jubilee's out of earshot, she says, "Okay. Going to my office."

"I'll see you later, then, _cher_."

In her office she plays anxious, modern pieces on her violin and stares at her phone. But Logan doesn't call back for another three days. When he finally does, she tears up and Logan can hear it in her voice.

"Sorry, darlin'. I wanted to figure some things out before I called back."

"What did you find? Are you okay? When are you coming home?"

He lets out an uneasy chuckle. "Yeah. I'm okay. I'm sticking around a little while longer but I think I'll be heading home soon."

She sighs. "Love you, Logan. Don't forget that."

"I won't. Less I get shot in the head again."

"If you do, I'll get Hank to give me more weird painkillers so I can hook you up with some fresh new memories. Wait, make sure you keep my business card in your pocket so you know where to come back to."

He laughs. "Miss you."

"Miss you too. Let us know when you come back, and we'll come get you at the airport, okay?"

"All right. See you soon. Take care, darlin'," he says, and hangs up. She smiles and goes looking for Remy.

"What'd he find out?" Remy asks.

"You know—he didn't actually say. But he sounded much more at peace."

"Good," Remy says. He kisses her. He's glad Logan hadn't done anything too reckless—or if he had, that he hadn't told Nori about it.

Six days later, she gets a call from Logan at 4am.

"Hello?" she says, sleepily.

"Hey, Nori. I'm flyin' out today."

"Logan? Great! Did you find what you were looking for?"

"I guess so. I'll tell you in person tonight. LaGuardia, 6pm."

"Yay! What airline?"

"Uh… United."

"I'll see you tonight, then."

"Thanks, darlin'. Uh, sorry if I woke you up. What time's it there?"

"Well—4am. But it's fine."

"Hm. Sorry. Take care."

"Love you, Logan."

"Love you too," he says, and hangs up.

Nori smiles and nestles against Remy's chest. "Hey. Logan's coming home today," she whispers.

"That's good," he murmurs.

"Isn't it?" she says. He kisses the top of her head and they doze off for a few more hours.

That afternoon they ready themselves to pick up Logan. Nori puts on a little sundress and Remy puts on one of his favorite purple shirts. They study themselves in the mirror, admiring their tan, happy reflections, and Nori says, "Hmph. Teach _him_ to ditch us all summer."

"Don't think he'll make that mistake twice," Remy agrees.

"Should we take Rogue to the airport with us?"

"Don't know, _cher_. What d'you think Logan's gonna wanna do when he gets off that plane?"

"Well—that can wait a little longer, I think. It would mean a lot to Rogue. Don't you think?"

Remy sighs. "You're right, _cher_," he says grudgingly. She closes her eyes for a second and locates Rogue in her room. They go downstairs and knock on her door.

"Go away!" Rogue calls.

"Rogue, sweetie, it's Nori."

"Oh, God, sorry. I thought you were Jubilee."

Rogue pries the door open and it's obvious she's been crying. Nori sighs, blocks Rogue's power, and hugs her. Remy waits in the hallway.

"What's wrong?"

"Just a stupid fight."

"Well, we're going to pick Logan up from the airport. Want to come with us and tell me about it?"

"Logan's coming back?"

"Yeah."

"In two hours," Remy says.

"Oh my God, yeah. Can I just—let me wash my face," Rogue says.

"Of course," Nori says. She has endless sympathy for crying-induced makeup problems. "We'll wait right here."

Rogue nods and pulls the door shut. Remy wraps an arm around her shoulder. "_Ma fille douce_," he murmurs.

She grins up at him and Rogue comes bounding out into the hallway. She's changed clothes, too. They all want to look their best for Logan, although he will very likely return in the exact same outfit he'd been wearing the day he left. They walk down to the garage and head out to LaGuardia, going against traffic. Rogue is almost bouncing with excitement, and her squabble with Jubilee is almost forgotten. Remy parks and doesn't mind the outrageous parking fees.

They pace around the terminal for fifteen minutes until they spot a familiar face. Logan glances around, takes a small sniff, and heads straight for them. He's unable to keep a smile off his face when he sees them. Rogue jumps up and hugs him, joyfully wrapping her bare arms around his neck.

"Hey, Rogue, ya miss me or something?"

"A little. How was your trip?"

He keeps a level face as he says, "It was good. Ate a lot of good seafood."

Next up Nori gives him an enthusiastic hug. He bends his head down and takes a deep inhale. He whispers something in Japanese and she blushes and steps away.

Logan tries to shake Remy's hand but Remy smoothly turns it into a hug. "Good to see you, _mon ami_."

"Likewise, Cajun."

"You got a bag to claim?"

"This is it," Logan says, shrugging a single backpack-laden shoulder.

"Well, then, let's get outta here."

Logan follows them out to the car. He and Rogue sit in the backseat and she chatters about her summer. Meanwhile, Nori links the three adults telepathically and Logan thanks God he doesn't blush.

Abruptly, Nori asks, "Hey. How did you get through airport security?"

"Before I left, Xavier got Hank to get me one of those cards people get when they have metal plates on their bones."

"What?"

"Yeah, I guess if you go to a regular surgeon and get metal in your bones, you get a little laminated card to show at airports."

"And yours shows that you had pins put in every single bone in your body?"

"Had to get an extra security screening, but they let me on eventually."

"Huh," Nori says. "Man, Xavier is a real problem solver, isn't he?"

"That he is," Logan agrees.

"You must be tired, Logan. It's what, like 8am in Japan now?"

"Something like that. I don't really keep track. I'm fine."

"Of course you are," she says warmly.

Back at the mansion, they sit through a too-long "welcome home" dinner where Rogue basks in Logan's public attention. She knows Logan likes her more than he likes Jubilee, more than he likes any of the students. He patiently gives an abbreviated version of his travels and he opens his backpack to hand out souvenirs-a pretty lace scarf for Rogue, some tea for Ororo, and even something for Scott—a decorative cloth headband.

"It has the symbol for determination on it," he says.

"Well… thanks," Scott says, genuinely surprised.

"People wear those for luck, or for power. Like if you were studying or practicing, you would wear it, to focus your determination," Nori says. "Or you could just hang it up for decoration. I mean headbands aren't for everyone, you know, style-wise."

Scott nods. "Thank you, Logan. Good to have you back. Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yeah, I think I did."

Finally, Logan's able to escape to the third floor. Nori and Remy wait a few moments before heading up to their own room. They wait impatiently for Logan to come over to their room, which he does before too long. He's carrying a small paper bag.

"Hey," he says.

Nori smiles. "So. How was your trip?"

"A little lonely," he says, kissing her.

She smiles and wraps her arms around him.

"You two look like you got some sun this summer," he says.

"Little bit," she says. "Wanna see my tanline?"

Logan makes a sound low in his throat and pulls her sundress over her head, taking a moment to appreciate the lacy lingerie she has under it.

"Hey. Before you get any ideas involving claws, I have to tell you that this stuff is way more expensive than it should be," Nori says seriously.

He laughs and runs his hands over the lace appreciatively. Then he gently pushes her down to the bed and kisses her cleavage, her throat, her mouth.

Telepathically, she says, _I forgot how scratchy you are!_

He breaks off from the kiss and laughs. "Sorry."

"I'll live," she says, licking his earlobe. Remy slips behind Logan and tugs off his T-shirt, running his hands up and down the muscled back.

Logan's breath catches and he turns to kiss Remy. Nori sits up to watch, wide-eyed. Logan unbuttons Remy's shirt, to Remy's relief. Logan whispers something in Remy's ear. Remy smiles and stands up, returning to the bed with Logan's paper bag.

Nori looks at them. "What'd you get?"

"Just a couple toys. If you're interested," Logan says. Nori bites her lip. She can tell from their linked thoughts that Logan and Remy are interested, and she looks up at them curiously.

Remy pulls a pair of padded handcuffs out of the bag and Nori sucks in a breath. Remy croons, "It's just us, _cher_. But we'll put them back if this isn't what you want."

She considers for a moment, then looks up at them through her eyelashes and offers out her wrists. She grins and says, "Someone has been looking at too much Japanese porn."

Remy smiles possessively and closes a cuff around her wrist. He surprises her by snapping the other shut around the bedpost.

"Oh!" she says.

"Easy, _cher_," he says, bending down to kiss her lips.

She lets out a tiny moan. Logan snaps another set of handcuffs around her other wrist and stretches out her arms. Her arm doesn't quite reach the other bedpost, but he pulls out a length of silk rope and ties the cuff to the bedpost. Nori squirms, testing the bonds.

"So beautiful," Logan says. Nori looks up, a little nervously. She trusts them, but still, she's tied to the bed and they are two of the most dangerous men on the planet. The thought is actually more arousing than it should be. Logan starts running his hands over her body. "You want this, Nori? You want me? Us?"

"Mm-hmm."

"What's that?"

"Yes—I want this."

"Good," he says. Then he extends a claw and gently cuts her bra straps. "I'll buy you a new one, promise," he says. Remy grins and unwraps her like a Christmas present. Kneeling beside her, he lowers his mouth over her breasts. She sighs and digs her nails into the palms of her hands. She gasps when she feels Logan's tongue between her legs. She sighs and squirms and lets out a disappointed sound when he climbs down from the bed.

"Wait, come back, please," she whines.

Remy laughs and straddles her to kiss her. She kisses back, wishing she could reach out for his hair. She lets out a little yelp against Remy's mouth, feeling Logan's fingers and the smooth touch of rubber against her wet pussy. Logan chuckles. "Brought you another present from Japan, darlin'." He slides something small and heavy inside her, and then turns it on. She jerks and gasps as it starts buzzing.

Remy kisses her, and Logan teases her, and she's getting extremely twitchy. Then, as if on some unseen signal, they both climb off of her. She can feel the vibrator still in her but Logan's turned it off.

"What? Where are you going?" she asks, tugging at her handcuffs. If she wanted, she could use her telekinesis to open them, but that would ruin the game. Remy and Logan, spurred on by Nori's intensely aroused empathic waves, kiss each other fiercely. They pause to shed their pants, and Remy starts jerking Logan's cock, carefully standing within Nori's line of vision. Her mouth is parted and she's watching intently. She hunches her hips a little against the toy inside her, but it isn't enough to get her off.

Remy kneels and takes Logan into his mouth. "So hot," Nori murmurs.

"Christ," Logan groans. "A thief and a musician—don't know which of you is better with your hands and your mouth."

"You're probably the best one to judge that," Nori says. Logan has one hand in Remy's hair and the other is holding something small and black. He glances at her and touches it. The vibrator turns on and Nori yelps. "That thing is wireless? Oh… God. My people… they are… true innovators." Logan, close to orgasm himself, adjusts a setting and the vibrator goes a notch faster. Nori closes her eyes and presses her thighs tightly together. Logan comes in Remy's mouth, watching Nori writhe.

Logan gasps and Remy comes to standing. He smirks at Logan and then goes over to kiss Nori. She thrusts herself up at him, rubbing against him.

"You _guys_, this is _not fair_," she says.

"Whoever said this was supposed to be fair?" Remy asks.

She narrows her eyes and mentally sends him every fantasy she can think of.

"Oh, Christ, _cher_," Remy groans. Logan watches closely. It's still not a fair fight, but the balance has shifted the opposite way. Nori'd gotten good at her telepathy in a way that Logan was pretty sure she hadn't learned from Xavier. Nori telekinetically whips a condom out of the bedside table and Remy rolls it on. He pulls the small rubbery egg out of Nori and replaces it with his cock. "So good, _cher_," he says. She's so warm and wet underneath him.

She wraps her legs around him and presses up against him. She breathes hard, and Remy murmurs to her, half in French, half in English. Logan simply stands and watches. God, he had missed these two when he was out traveling.

Before too long, they both cry out and lie panting together. Nori's arms are still stretched out above her. Logan comes to sit on the edge of the bed and says, "If you ask real nice, I'll untie you."

She pouts and bats her long eyelashes at him. "Oh, please, Logan, untie me." It's an oddly sexy mix of sarcasm and pleading, and Logan grins and undoes her right arm. She waits patiently, and then telekinetically whacks his hand with one end of the handcuffs.

He laughs and says, "It'll cost you a kiss to get your other arm."

"Well, come down and get it, then."

He does, and she tangles her free hand in his coarse black hair.

"Now, Logan, please let me go," she says breathily.

"Don't know, darliin', I kinda like you where you are," he says, but he obligingly unlocks her other arm.

She stretches her arms out and shrugs her shoulders. "Whew," she says. "You sure know how to shop for souvenirs, Logan. And I don't know if I said thank you for the cell phone charm."

He laughs. "Well, you're welcome."

Freed from the bedposts, Nori goes to the bathroom and brushes her teeth. She pulls on a little nightie and comes to rest her face on Logan's bare chest. Remy contentedly lies down on the other side of her. She likes being in the middle; it's so cozy. The three of them fall asleep together, but Logan's nightmare wakes them up a few hours later. He snaps awake, his claws out. Her mind linked with his, Nori manages to telekinetically shield herself just before he would have cut her arm. Remy wakes up a few seconds after them and he pulls Nori closely to him.

Logan pants heavily for a moment before saying, "God, Nori, you all right?"

"Fine," she says calmly. Privately, she's a little shaken-up, but for Logan's sake she can shelve that for later. She uses her TK to turn on the light. "How are you, Logan? Your dream—what did you find in Japan? You never told us."

"I—" he takes a deep breath, and Nori squeezes his hand.

"It was before the war."

"What war?" she asks, then shakes her head. "Guess it doesn't matter."

"Before the Second World War," Logan clarifies. "I was… mixed up with some things in Japan, with the _yakuza_. Uh, the Japanese mob."

"I know," Nori and Remy say in unison, and Logan laughs.

"All right, guess you would both know that. Anyway—I met this woman. Mariko. She was—beautiful. Gentle. Her father was head of a _yakuza _faction. And I—I loved her. We were engaged, and then, her father made her break off the engagement. Married her off to the son of another _yakuza_ lord. But he—he wasn't treating her so nice. So—well—I killed him. And—God, she was so afraid of me, after that. But, her father died, and she became the leader of the clan. And we got engaged again. And the night before our wedding—someone poisoned her, someone from another _yakuza_ clan. She—she begged me to kill her, to make it quick. There—there was no antidote, no hope, the doctor said. So—so—I killed her," he says quietly.

Nori sighs and hugs him. "Oh, Logan," she says, and she uses her empathy to wash love and compassion over him.

Feeling it, he finally cries and holds her tightly. Remy sits up and says nothing. He traces a hand up and down Nori's back. When Logan's calmed down a little, Remy says, "_Mon ami_, sounds like you did just about everything you could."

"I'm so sorry for Mariko," Nori says. "And for you. And _you_ didn't kill her, Logan. Whoever poisoned her did that."

Logan sucks in a breath. "It was a long time ago."

"But it's new to you," Nori says. "So do what you need to do."

"Don't know, Nori. I don't know what I need to do."

"How about if for starters you stay here with us, get some more sleep, and in the morning we'll figure it out?" Nori says. She's stroking his broad shoulders soothingly, and her empathy is so comforting.

"Yeah. All right," Logan says. He lies down and Nori curls up in his arms. He clutches her, and she sings to him softly. Remy lies next to them and runs his fingers through Logan's hair. Logan sighs and his breathing slows, lulled to sleep by her voice and Remy's touches. Remy quickly returns to sleep, leaving Nori awake with her thoughts. She'd thought her life was dramatic five years ago, when she'd been living on the road and dating a melodramatic alcoholic artist, but she'd just nearly gotten stabbed in her sleep and been told a story that could have been ripped from a soap opera. More than that… she'd seen it, felt it. What a strange place her mind was these days.

But somehow, she feels up to playing this new hand she's been dealt. Married to a preternaturally charming thief, sharing their bed with an amnesiac wolverine, and gifted with mutant powers she'd never expected? She's throwing in all her chips here. She sighs and falls into a peaceful sleep, feeling like the odds are in her favor.

~THE END~

END NOTES

This is kind of an arbitrary ending point, I guess, but I decided to stop at 42 chapters in honor of Douglas Adams, and because that is a lot of chapters. I might write some more about these guys later. Would you read it? Check yes or no in the review box.

Anyway GOSH this is by far the longest thing I've ever written and I don't even know how it happened. I got carried away with myself. (When I first started writing this I didn't really think Logan was going to be a major character. Uh, oops!)

Thanks for reading it (and triple-thanks if you left a review along the way!). Shout out to Galactic Cannibalism for leaving the best and most reviews!

Also, secret thanks to my employer for unknowingly paying me to write this at work. You're the best!

In case you are not familiar with comics canon(s) and were wondering:

The following characters/entities/plotlines exist in some form in comics (and thus belong to Marvel):

Friends of Humanity

Nathaniel Essex/Sinister (and his whole thing with tricking Gambit into finding the Morlocks etc… which didn't make that much sense canonically, if you ask me, but whatevs)

Sarah Rushman/Marrow (and the Morlocks)

Belladonna and Julien Bourdreaux (and the Assassins Guild, and Remy's marriage/duel/exile—though in comics it's actually way more convoluted)

Jean-Luc, Henri, and Mercy LeBeau (and the Thieves Guild)

Mariko Yashida (and Wolverine's engagement/break-up/mercy-killing—again… way more convoluted in comics)

Dani Moonstar

John Proudstar

Wanda and Pietro Maximoff

Dr. Cecilia Reyes

Alison Blair/Dazzler

Lila Cheney

Amara Aquillas/Magma

Dr. Kavita Rao

Harry (and his bar)

Yuriko Oyama (though I ditched all of her insane comics backstory)

Other than the above, if you didn't recognize them from the movies, I made them up. Oh, or they are Andrew Bird, who as I mentioned in a previous note is a real musician to whom I gave a little wish-fulfillment cameo.

TL;DR NOTE ABOUT MUSIC, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED

I quoted like a hundred songs in this story, which I tried to attribute in chapter end notes. If I forgot any, uh, feel free to ask. Any songs attributed to Nori, I wrote. (Which... is why she mainly does covers, because I don't really write songs. :) And because she's so modest!) I'm not a musician at all (and I hope that wasn't too apparent…) I have a lot of musician friends and in writing Nori's music-related dialogue I basically just tried to replicate the experience of me listening to them talk and not really following them. (ALSO I did a lot of Googling.)

If you are wondering what Nori's music sounds like, I mean, feel free to pick your lady singer-songwriter of choice. In my head she's kind of a fusion of Mighty Kate/Dar Williams/early Liz Phair.

If you're not familiar with those singers and want to check them out on YouTube, do it! They are awesome. Here are some songs I would recommend:

Mighty Kate (aka Katy Pfaffl. Super cute, plays guitar and piano and violin!): "200 Stories," "Better Days," "Underneath"

Dar Williams (A way insightful & witty songwriter): "As Cool As I Am," "Iowa," "Are You Out There," "After All," "Teenagers, Kick Our Butts" (which I imagine would get a lot of play at Xavier's)

Liz Phair (More rock, less folk than Dar): "Never Said," "Divorce Song," "6'1"', really anything off her album Exile in Guyville.

Nori also owes a lot to activist-musicians like Ani DiFranco and the Indigo Girls as well as riot grrrl bands like Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney.

As for Rachael, I based her professional life pretty closely on Rachael Sage, a jazz-pop pianist/artist. (I didn't even change the first name! :O I briefly thought about it and then couldn't come up with one I liked!) Fictional Rachael's personality, though, is 100% made up. Rachael Sage seems very friendly, and, as far as I know, cannot communicate with plants.

Rachael Sage songs: "Sistersong," "Trouble," "Big Star."

Also you can look at her art at RachaelSage dot com, though it is not really much like fictional Rachael's art.


	43. Chapter 43

Oh, hello! I just thought you might like to know that I have started a sequel to this story.

The sequel is entitled All That We Let In and it is freely availably on the Internet at the following address (minus the spaces):

www . fanfiction . net/s/7067078/1/All_That_We_Let_In

Perhaps you will enjoy reading it. It contains the following:

- Further Remy/Nori/Logan threesomes

- The Phoenix

- A thoughtful discussion of the morality of capital punishment and war

- Who am I kidding, I had you at threesomes, DIDN'T I?


End file.
